


Batman and Robin

by Elensule



Category: Supernatural
Genre: De-Aged Dean Winchester, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 03:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3274694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elensule/pseuds/Elensule
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester has been cursed and deaged to four years old, before Mary's death and everything in his world changed. After an accident that claimed their father's life, it's up to Sam to give Dean the life he deserves until a cure can be found.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. While Gotham City Burns

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is going to be a slice of life fic. I'm not promising linear timeline or any kind of consistency in posting schedule. I hope it'll be fluffy, happy and basically a fantastic stress reliever for me and for you. Please enjoy the first two snippets!
> 
> Chapter Titles are from "Batman" the 1966 drama, copyright 20th Century Fox, characters are from Supernatural, copyright the CW. No profit or infringement intended.

The first time Sam Winchester’s life changed he was six months old, and his mother burned to death on the ceiling of his nursery. He didn’t remember that, much, but he’d heard enough about it to know that it had ruined everything.

The second time, he was almost eighteen years old, going off to Stanford and leaving his family behind. He regretted burning those bridges, but he didn’t think he would change his choice, given the option. He was well on his way to becoming a lawyer, was engaged to a beautiful woman, and his job on campus paid a living wage; he might miss his father and brother, but he didn’t regret the choice that led to this life.

The third time his life changed, he was twenty six years old and halfway through his law program. It came with the ringing of a phone when he was sitting at the desk in the spare-bedroom-cum-office he and Jess shared, studying. He let it ring once more before he put down a place-marker and picked up the phone even though he didn’t recognize the number.

“Hello? Sam Winchester speaking.”

“Yes, Mister Winchester… I’m Lionel Dawson, a case manager at Sacred Heart hospital here in Sioux Falls. I’m calling in regards to your father and brother. I’m… I’m afraid there’s been an accident.”

Sam stiffened, his fingers reflexively clenching on the phone. If they were calling him, things were _very_ bad. John wouldn’t call him, otherwise. Truth be told, he’d half expected that his father or Dean was going to die and he wouldn’t know about it until long after the fact, if ever. This call, on the other hand, was nothing he’d ever prepared for.

“I… What’s going on?” Sam wasn’t prepared for the sheer emotions he felt at that moment. What if something had happened to dad? To  _Dean_?

“Well, it seems your father and brother were in a car accident last night. Your brother is in critical condition, but seems likely to survive. Your father… I’m sorry, Mister Winchester, but your father is unlikely to make it. You were listed as next of kin for both your brother and father, and in the event that your father passes, your brother needs a guardian.”

Sam was confused. Why would Dean need a guardian? But then, maybe his accident had included a head injury, and he would need a guardian while he recovered? He _was_ in critical condition.

“I… I see.” Fuck. At least it was only a few weeks into the semester. As much as he wanted to say fuck it, i’m out of the life… He couldn’t step out on Dean. Not again, when it might literally be life or death. He was stunned past tears, past shock, and finally just let out a long, slow breath. “Just let me put some things in order. I’ll be down tomorrow.” God, he hoped the credit card he had still would get him a ticket. He hung up the phone, and dialed another number, one he hadn’t called in a long time. “Bobby? It’s me… Sam…”

He touched down in Sioux Falls just after eight AM, having caught the red eye the night before. Bobby was waiting for him, beat up ball cap covering eyes that seemed much sadder than they had been the last time Sam had seen him. He hugged Sam tight, slapping his shoulder just a touch too hard.

“It’s good ta see ya, boy,” he said, stepping back with his hands on Sam’s shoulders. “Ya sure got tall, didn’tcha?” He shook his head, then nodded toward the backpack on Sam’s arm. “That all ya got?”

“Uh, yeah. I just kinda… Threw some stuff in a bag. I’m on temporary family crisis leave. Can we… I need to see them.”

Bobby nodded. “Yeah, you do. But.. Let’s go to my place, first. There’s some things you need to know.”

The drive to Bobby’s was silent, each of them brooding over their own part in this. It was a tense half hour but finally they pulled in and Sam paused to greet Rumsfeld on the front porch as he bayed out a welcome.

The first thing Sam noticed when they walked into the house was an abundance of pictures, pictures of a little boy with freckles and bright green eyes. “Hey Bobby… Who’s the cutie?” Sam picked up one of the pictures, looking it over intently. Even as worried as he was, he couldn’t help but notice strange things like pictures of kids in Bobby’s house. Bobby was at the table,picking up a large manilla envelope.

“Well son… That’s what we need to talk about.” Bobby held out the envelope. “You might wanna be sittin’ down for this.”

Sam set down the picture, frowning as he took the envelope and crossed to the couch. “Bobby, did you know my dad was in town?” After all, it seemed strange for John to come to Sioux Falls without seeking Bobby out, even after their falling out so long ago.

“Yeah, I did. He was on his way to see me.” Guilt broke into his voice, and Bobby stood before Sam could offer any consoling gesture. “Just… It’ll all be in the envelope, kid. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re done.”

Sam upended the envelope onto his lap; more pictures of the sweet little boy spilled out and he picked them up one by one. The earliest pictures he seemed to be about three, with round cheeks and eyes almost too big for his face. A large number of the pictures had him wearing Batman pajamas, and carrying a model car in one pudgy fist. The later pictures seemed closer to four, his face a little more grown up, a little less rounded. Last to come was an envelope, with John’s distinctive handwriting on it.

 

_Sam,_

_If you’re reading this, something terrible has happened. I’m sorry to drag you away from Stanford and your dreams, whatever they may be, but right now, family needs you. About a year ago, your brother Dean got cursed. You can see the outcome in the pictures. He didn’t remember anything, not about hunting, or Mary’s death. The first few months were rough, but we’re getting better. I’ve been telling him stories about his big brother Sammy, just in case, and showing him pictures of you. Bobby can give you the lowdown about the rest._

_  
I made a will, naming you Dean’s guardian. Sam, if anything happens to me, permanently, Dean needs you. I’m sorry. I know raising a kid wasn’t in your life plan right now, I get that. But if we haven’t found a cure before you need to read this, then you need to know that Dean needs you. I trust you’ll be able to figure it out, find a way to get our Dean back, but until then, I trust you’ll take care of him, get him a good school, a stable home._

_I love you, Son. I know I haven’t said that enough, but I do and I’m proud of you. Good luck, son. Take care of your brother._

  
_Dad._


	2. Batman Makes the Scenes

"I don't know what to do, Jess. He hardly talks to me, and he's having nightmares every night. He screams and screams, and when I wake him up, he just clings to me and cries.” Sam felt stretched to the end of his rope; he didn’t want to fail Dean, and it felt like he was. At the moment, the little boy was curled in Sam’s lap, his tiny pudgy fist clenched in Sam’s shirt. “And when I tried to tell him about the airplane, he _flipped_.”

“Sam, baby, you know it’s going to be a really rough road for him. He’s going to need some time to adjust. He’ll come around.”

Sam stroked Dean’s soft hair, sighing. “I know. I just… I wish I had some way to make him feel better, you know?”

Dean whimpered in his sleep and Sam shushed him, kissing his forehead and shifting positions to make Dean more comfortable. “Hey, hey,” he whispered. “You’re okay. I’m right here.” Dean settled after a moment, and Sam sighed. “Sorry; he’s a little restless.”

“Aww… Poor baby,” she said sadly. “I can imagine. At least tell me his softie survived the crash?”

“Softie?” Same repeated, baffled. “What the hell’s a softie?”

Jess’ tone was incredulous. “You know. The thing you cuddle with when you’re sad or sick or sleepy? For a lot of kids it’s a bear, or a dog or something. Sometimes a blanket… It’s the friend when you’re in the car, that kind of thing.”

Sam frowned. They’d never had that kind of thing that he could remember. John wasn’t big on excess ‘stuff’ that could be left behind. What Jess described? That was Dean, for him. Dean was there to entertain him. to dry his tears when he slept, tuck him in when he was sick. His stomach twisted, knowing that Dean had _never_ had that. Or, if he had, it had been lost in the fire in favor of saving Sam’s life.

“I don’t think he has one,” Sam said finally. “I mean, he’s never mentioned one? Or anything like that… Should… What do you think I should do?”

“What? Poor thing! Okay. I’m going to text you the address to Build a Bear.”

“Build a what?” Sam hadn’t ever heard of such a thing. “Jess, he’s _four_ , I don’t think much of what he builds is gonna last.” Sam was so sleep deprived the whole world felt fuzzy. Building bears? He loved Jess, but it didn’t seem like she knew any more than he did about little kids. He was surprised when she just burst out laughing.

“It’s not like that,” she said between giggles. “It’s a store that sells empty teddy bears, and you get to fill them and dress them and stuff. You can even put in soundbites, or record your own sounds. There’s a store in the mall in Sioux Falls. Trust me, little kids need a best friend they can talk to about anything, and Dean more than most.”

Sam couldn’t argue with that. Anything that might help make Dean feel safer, or more secure, that was what he needed. “Well, if you think it’ll help…”

“I’m sure it will.” Jess’ smile was audible through the phone. “Go ahead and get some sleep, babe. I can’t wait to see you, meet Dean. Just a few more days. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Sam smiled and hung up the phone. He sighed as he felt the boy still clinging to him; no matter where Dean went to bed, Sam had resigned himself to sleeping with a little limpet, at least for a while. He shifted, lying down and tugging Dean into a comfortable position. “Night, Deano,” he murmured softly, kissing Dean’s forehead one more time before he turned out the light.

The next morning, Sam woke to Dean sitting quietly beside him, as he had for the last few days since he’d gotten out of the hospital. The little boy never did much by himself, not like Sam expected. He didn’t get into trouble, or make a mess. He just sat there, fiddling with the comforter and staring at his fingers.

“Morning, Dean.” Sam smiled warmly at the little boy as he stretched, but Dean didn’t say anything. He looked up at Sam, his big green eyes sad and round. Sam didn’t let his smile falter; the few times he’d gotten upset in front of Dean he’d gotten a sobbing toddler as a result. He sat up and slid out of bed, holding his arms out to Dean. “Come on, let’s go see what Bobby has for breakfast, yeah?”

Dean nodded, clinging to Sam’s neck as the tall man picked him up and carried him down the steps to the front room. “Morning Bobby!” Sam said with a smile. The old hunter looked up from the stove, a smile of forced cheer on his face. This quiet Dean was hurting him too, though Dean at least smiled at him sometimes. 

“Mornin’ boys. Just time for breakfast! Any plans for today, Sam?” Bobby was dishing up pancakes, and Sam crossed to the table to set Dean down. The little boy immediately began to tear up, clutching at Sam’s sleeve, and Sam picked him back up.

“Uh, yeah,’ Sam said, resigning himself to yet another meal with a four year old on his lap. Not the most comfortable, but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that he liked being on the other side for once, getting to give comfort and not just receive it.”I talked to Jess last night.” He smiled down at Dean, talking to the boy as he began to cut up the pancakes into little bites for him. “She thought it might be good if we went to the mall today and got you a friend to take on the plane with us. What do you think?”

Dean looked up at him. He looked questioning for a moment, then nodded once before turning his attention to the pancakes in front of him. 

Sam kissed the boy’s head, smiling faintly at Bobby before he cut into the pancakes himself. Breakfast was quiet, Sam gently bouncing Dean up and down as they ate, Bobby making sure no one ran out of food or coffee, milk in Dean’s case, until it was all gone. Scraping the last piece of pancake through the syrup, Sam licked his lips and looked down at Dean. “Hey little man, ready to get dressed?”

Dean nodded slowly. “Bobby, you got a cloth?” Sticky breakfasts always needed a quick wipe up, and Bobby quickly passed Sam a wet cloth. He washed the little boy up and then set the cloth on the table. “Can you go up yourself and get started? I want to talk to uncle Bobby for a minute.”

Dean looked a little worried, but he nodded slowly and slid off Sam’s lap. “I’ll be right up,” Sam promised. Dean shot Sam one more worried look, and then padded back toward their room. 

“So you’re goin’ to the mall… Do you really think that’s such a good idea, Sam?”

Sam shrugged. “It’s a Tuesday morning. I don’t think it’ll be too crowded, and the airport is going to be way worse on Thursday. It’ll be good practice. Jess said I should take him to Build a Bear, let him make a toy. It’s a good idea… I know he didn’t have many.” Dean had some clothes, though he’d need new ones when they got to California. The toy was a good idea.

“That’s true. You best get upstairs before he thinks you forgot him.” Bobby smiled. “I”ll let you borrow the truck.”

“Thanks, Bobby,” Sam said, standing up and nodding to the older man before heading upstairs.

Dean was in their room, his pajama top off, tangled up in his favorite batman teeshirt. Sam knew it was his favorite because he had to wash it every other day because Dean wanted to wear it all the time. At least it was clean today, so Sam came up and knelt by him. “Hey Dean, lemme help, huh?”

Dean nodded from where his head was stuck in the arm of his shirt. He let Sam untangle him, and then to step into his jeans. Dean could usually get dressed by himself, but when he tried to rush, he ran into trouble. “Okay, Batman, let me just change my clothes and we’ll go, okay?” Dean nodded, and climbed onto the bed. Sam stepped behind the closet door to change, this situation so different from when they were kids.

He pulled a flannel on over everything else and stepped into the room. “Okay, here we go.” He scooped Dean up as he walked, taking him downstairs where they sat on the couch to get their boots and coats on. “We’ll be back in a couple hours,” Sam said to Bobby as he took the keys at the door. “Dean and I will probably eat lunch at McDonalds before we come back, so don’t wait on us.” He glanced at Dean as he made the offer, hoping to see a glimmer of _something_ , but the little boy was still as quiet and flat as he had been before.

“Alright, well you boys be careful,’ Bobby said, a little worry in his voice as Sam nodded and hugged Dean closer. They went out into the frosty world, and Sam buckled Dean carefully into the booster seat in the back of the truck. Part of his mind still boggled that Dean was small enough to need a booster.

“Alright Dean, ready to go?”

The little boy nodded and then began to fiddle with the cuff on his shirt. Sam lingered for a moment before he climbed into the cab and started the engine. They drove in silence for a few minutes, until Sam found the classic rock station. A glance in the rearview showed a small smile on Dean’s lips for the first time that day as _Back in Black_ rumbled out of the speakers.

Dean didn’t sing along the way he maybe once would have, but the little boy bounced his head along to the beat, and Sam relaxed a little, glancing at him as he drove. This was nice. The half hour drive went quickly, and soon they were pulling into the mall. “Okay Dean, ready?” 

Dean nodded, and actually let Sam hold his hand and walked toward the mall under his own power. Sam smiled proudly, and didn’t let his smile falter when, at the big doors, Dean stopped and clung to Sam’s leg. Sam scooped him up and kissed his head. “Okay Dean, here we go.”

As Sam had expected, it was pretty quiet inside. He stopped at the map to find their way to the store, then carried Dean down the shiny tiled walkway until they came to stop before a store with a bright yellow sign proclaiming _Build a Bear_. A cheery looking woman stood just inside and waved as Sam walked in the door. “Hi there! Can I help you guys with something?”

“Hi,” Sam said, speaking for both of them as Dean hid his face in Sam’s neck. “This is my brother Dean. We’re moving to California tomorrow and he needs a friend for the airplane. Think you can help him out?” He left out the rest of the trauma Dean had been dealing with. 

“Oh! Absolutely!” The woman, older and a little matronly, bent forward toward Dean just a little. “Hi Dean. My name is Sally. Do you wanna come see which friends you can pick from?”

“Go on, Dean, I’ll be right here,” Sam said, setting Dean down and urging him toward the buckets of bears. Dean reached for a few of them, but after looking at the puppies and kitties, a purple bear with glitter in its fur, he set them all down. Finally he stopped in front of a light brown bear with soft looking curly hair. Dean picked it up and stroked its head softly, and then looked up at Sam questioningly.

“Is that the one you want, Dean?” Sam smiled reassuringly, kneeling next to Dean. Dean nodded, holding the loose body in his hands. “Okay, great. Let’s ask Sally what we do next, okay?”

Dean nodded, and Sally smiled warmly. “Oh good choice, Dean!” She said, nodding to the bear. “Okay. Do you want a sound to put in him?” She led them to a small stand where there were a bunch of red buttons. “If you push the buttons, you can hear what they sound like.”

Dean nodded. He visibly flinched at the roar sound, and clung more tightly to Sam’s hand when the dog bark and cat meow came from the speaker. When the boy hit the ‘heartbeat’ sound, though, his hand hovered over the button, and he pressed it again. “I think we have a winner,” Sam said to Sally, and Dean nodded again.

Sally took out the small disc and put it into the paw of the bear. “Okay Dean! Now it’s time to stuff your friend and bring him to life, okay?” She guided Dean to the next station, where there was a big tub full of stuffing being constantly stirred. She passed Dean a small bucket full of small satin hearts, some red, some white, some polkadotted or striped. “Choose a heart, anyone you like.” Dean hesitated. “Would you like to have your brother put one in too?”

Dean, still clinging to Sam with his free hand, nodded. “Uh… Okay.” Sam smiled and reached down into the bucket, pulling out a heart with red and white stripes. Dean took one with polka dots and Sally took the bucket back. 

“Good choices! Okay, hold on to those hearts boys. First I’m going to start the stuffer. Dean, I need you to step on that pedal when I tell you I’m ready.” She carefully began to position the bear over a tube, then nodded to Dean. “Go ahead, Dean.”

Dean obeyed, pushing the pedal down. She moved the bear as the bear began to fill with stuffing, making sure it filled evenly. “Okay stop, give him a hug, see how he feels.” She pulled the bear off and passed it to Dean, who hugged it tightly and nodded. “That good? Okay, great! Now it’s time for the hearts! First let’s rub them on your heads, for all the good memories you’re going to make. Okay, now on your tummy for all the good food you’re going to eat together. Now over your heart for all the love you’re going to share.”

Sam felt a little silly, but he obeyed, smiling as he watched the way Dean was enthusiastically obeying each step. They put the hearts in the bear when Sally indicated, and then she stitched the bear up the last of the way. “Okay Dean, now you get to wash him off, right, get all the fuzzies off and get him all brushed up, right?”

Dean nodded, clearly more comfortable now, and began to ‘wash’ the bear at the station where he used little puffs of air to clean off the last of the fuzzies, and the plastic brushes to neaten his fur. Then he looked up as Sally and Sam walked up behind him. 

“Okay Dean, are you going to dress your bear?” Dean looked over his shoulder at Sam, who waved a hand. 

“Go for it, Dean. What would you like your bear to wear?” Dean returned to Sam’s side, taking his brother and heading toward the clothes. Soon he’d found a red flannel shirt that looked like it was wearing a vest, and a pair of jeans. Black shoes and a black leather jacket completed the ensemble. Dean clutched the clothes close to his chest. 

“Oh, good choices, Dean! Do you need help dressing your bear?” Dean shook his head and went to one of the little stations, but then looked up at Sam beseechingly when he couldn’t get the shirt over the bear’s head. Sam chuckled, but obediently bent to help. He felt a lump in his throat; he’d seen outfits like that on their father every day growing up. 

“Looks great Dean,” Sally said, then smiled when Dean stood up, holding his bear tightly. Dean looked up at the wall, his eyes wide. There was a rack of ‘costumes’, and Dean looked up near the top. Sam followed his eyes, and chuckled at what he saw. 

“Uh oh,” he said, making his voice playful. “How did we miss the Batman costume, Dean?” Dean looked over at his brother and shrugged. He glanced wistfully down at the clothes already on his bear, and then back up at the costume, and Sam sighed to himself as he mentally added another fifteen dollars to the already exorbitant price of this outing. “I guess we oughta get that too, huh Dean? I mean, every superhero needs a costume.”

The small giggle Dean let out when Sam said that, then reached up to the top rack to pull down the Batman costume, totally made it worth the fifteen bucks.

“Ooh, Batman! Good choice! Okay Dean, last step! We just need to make your bear’s birth certificate. Come over here to the computer…” Dean went where she pointed, and sat down. The keyboard had symbols and letters, and Dean followed the prompts by pressing the heart and then the diamond keys. 

“Okay Dean,” Sam said as he knelt to help. “They want your name. Do you know how to spell it?” Dean nodded, then typed in his own first name, one letter at a time. “Okay, is your bear a boy or a girl? Press heart for a girl or star for a boy.” Dean carefully pressed star, then looked at Sam for the next step. “Okay. Do you know what you want to name your bear, Dean?”

Dean thought for a minute, then nodded. He began to poke at the keyboard one letter at a time.  
I. M. P. A. L. A. Sam’s breath caught, and he smiled. “That’s a really good choice, Dean.” 

Dean smiled, and hit the diamond key again until it said that he was done. Sally stood behind the counter and folded up a big box shaped like a house that she put the ‘birth certificate’ into. “Do you want to put your friend in the box so he doesn’t get wet outside, Dean?”

Dean nodded and put Impala into the box. She folded it closed and passed it over to Dean while Sam fished out his wallet. “Your total is fifty six forty,” she said, and Sam winced. He couldn’t be too upset, though, because Dean was holding the box in one hand and reaching through the little window with the other so he could stroke the bear’s soft fur. He passed his card over without complaint.

“Thanks for coming in Dean,” Sally said with a big smile. “Good luck in California!”

Dean waved at her, and then grabbed Sam’s hand. Sam smiled down at the little boy, awkwardly clutching the box almost as big as he was, and nodded toward one of the clothing stores.

“Do you want to get a few more shirts before we go home? I thought I saw some cool Batman shirts in the window.” Dean nodded, and Sam smiled at how much more relaxed Dean was. They went together into the little boutique, and soon Sam had found Dean another jacket, a new pair of pajamas, and the promised Batman shirt. Dean spent the whole time staring in through the window of the bear box, only looking up if Sam offered him something else to choose from.

Sam carried the clothes bag as they headed toward the parking lot. “Okay, Dean,” Sam said, smiling at the little boy next to him. “Ready for that Mcdonalds?”

Dean nodded, and a small smile spread on his lips again. “Awesome. Okay, let’s go.” Sam picked him up, so Dean could hold the box with two hands, and soon everyone was buckled back into the car. Dean was staring hopefully into the box, and Sam paused before he shut the door. “Do you want to pull Impala out and hold him until it’s time for lunch?”

Dean nodded excitedly, so Sam helped to pull the box open and Dean pulled the bear out and hugged it close. Sam couldn’t help but pull his phone out and snap a picture, which he texted to Jess. 

_You were right._


	3. Batman's Satisfaction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So today's been kinda crappy... So I wrote fluff! :) Thanks to Lisa for the quick beta and helping me pick a chapter title.
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Dare

The first time Sam heard it, he woke to the sound of Rumsfeld barking his head off, and Bobby shouting out the window for him to ‘shut his damn fool head’. Dean was sitting up in bed, curled against the headboard as rain pelted their window. Impala was pulled against his chest, and Dean was stroking the bear’s soft fur.

Sam wanted to reach for him, to soothe him, but stopped when he heard something wonderful: Dean’s voice. Sam hadn’t heard it for quite a while, except when Dean was screaming at his nightmares. Now, though, he was talking in that little boy whisper that made Sam’s heart sing. “It’s okay, ‘Pala,” Dean said, his mouth near the bear’s ear. “It’s just the storm. Daddy always said ‘s like angels are bowling. Boom! That’s a strike!” His little face was illuminated with a flash of lightning, and Sam was careful not to let on he was awake. 

“Rumsfeld’s afraid of the thunder, but you don’t havta be. I’m right here, and Sammy is too. Sammy’s big and strong, and says he won’t let anything hurt us again.” It was hard not to tear up when he heard the little boy’s earnest words, and so Sam made a purposeful snuffling noise when the thunder crashed again. Dean looked up, and when he saw Sam ‘waking up’, he wormed quickly back under the covers and under Sam’s arm. “Night, ‘Pala,” Dean whispered as he snuggled in, his bear held tight to his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You have to eat your vegetables, ‘Pala,” Sam heard through the kitchen doorway as he scooped up his own food. “If you wanna get as tall Sammy, and he’s tall like a tree!” Sam chuckled softly to himself as he listened. Even if it was so rarely addressed to him, Sam loved hearing Dean’s little voice. He lingered in the doorway, where he could see Dean, but Dean couldn’t see him. The boy sat in his booster seat, a relic of John’s visits to Bobby’s. Impala sat on the chair next to him, a small bowl of food symbolically before him.

“Dean? Would you like some milk?” Sam stuck his head out, and Dean nodded. Sam chuckled when Dean spoke to Impala again nearly as soon as Sam’s head was out of the doorway. 

“Chocolate milk’s really good,” Dean said. “Sammy makes the best chocolate milk; I think he puts in extra syrup.” Dean was heartily eating his food, a grilled cheese sandwich and steamed broccoli. Sam grinned to hear that, and put in the extra dollop Dean was wanting. 

He stirred it out and then smiled. “Okay Dean,” he said as he carried his plate and their cups into the room. “Here you go, one glass of chocolate milk.” he winked at the little boy. “Extra chocolatey.”

Dean blushed cutely and grinned as he reached for it, staring down at his plate until he managed to sip the milk. He was very careful, using exaggerated, slow movements. He didn’t want to risk spilling on Impala. Sam had to smile, watching him; Dean’s movements were so much surer now, so much more carefree. He wasn’t delusional enough to think that three days was going to fix everything, but at least Dean was loosening up a little bit. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sammy says the plane isn’t scary. He says it’s like taking the bus, or driving in the car, but it’s just really high. But I don’t have to look out the window, he says, not if I don’t want to. I don’t know if I want to or not.”

Sam paused outside the bedroom. He was carrying the bags to the car, and Dean was supposed to be getting his shoes on. Sam couldn’t see if Dean had done it, since the door was only cracked open, but they had a little time. He wasn’t too worried about it, and he really wanted to know if Dean still needed reassurance. He’d been trying to tell him every day about the plane, and how fun California was going to be. He wasn’t sure if it had sunk in, but Dean had stopped freaking out every time he brought it up.

“Sammy told me we’re going far away, but that Miss Jess is going to meet us there. Whenever he talks to her on the phone he gets that icky look on his face like daddy used to when he talked about mommy, and sometimes…” His little voice sounded scandalized. “Sometimes he makes _kissy sounds_.”

Sam barely restrained a chuckle at that. Well. Something from his conversations had stuck, anyway.

“Sammy said Miss Jess is really nice, and he says he’ll hold my hand the _whole time_ we’re at the airport. He said Uncle Bobby can come visit and it’s gonna be okay.” Dean’s voice dropped to a whisper that Sam had to strain to hear. “I’m still a little scared, ‘Pala… I’m glad you’re here.”

Sam smiled to himself as he pushed open the door. “Ready to go, Deano?” He was glad, too.


	4. Batman Sets The Pace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Lisa,
> 
> Who didn't think she'd like this story, but did. Thanks for poking me! :)

The airport was _big_. It was the biggest place Dean had ever been to, even bigger than the hospital or the car place Daddy went to when the ‘Pala broke on the side of the road. There were _so many people!_ Dean clutched at Sammy’s hand, Impala held tight against his chest with the other. Uncle Bobby dropped them off at the start of a long line, hugging Sammy before kneeling to talk to Dean.

“You be good now, okay, Dean?” He smiled, but his eyes were watering. Dean nodded, tears rising in his own eyes. They were leaving _again_ and he didn’t want to leave Uncle Bobby! He clutched the bigger man in a tight hug, feeling the tears start to stream down his cheeks.

“I’ll come to visit,” Bobby promised as he pulled away, kissing Dean’s forehead. The little boy’s tears tugged his heart strings as few things did anymore. If he thought he had a chance to do that boy any good, he’d have fought to keep him himself. But he knew that the best chance for him was with his brother; Bobby’s home was no place for a child long term. “You listen to Sammy and Jess, okay? California is gonna be great.”

Dean clung to Uncle Bobby a moment longer, until finally Sam knelt too. “I know it’s sad, Dean,” he said gently. “But we’ve gotta go. We’ll call Uncle Bobby when we land in California, okay? Give him one last hug, and he can wave until we get through security.”

The sobs broke free then, and Dean clutched tightly at Bobby’s jacket. He didn’t want to go! Eventually Sam wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled Dean into his arms. “I’m sorry Dean,” Sam whispered into his hair. The little boy kicked and screamed for a few moments, and then dissolved into sobs, burying his face in Impala’s fur.

It was a feat for Sam to get his wallet out to show his and Dean’s travelling papers, carrying the boy in one arm and their backpacks over his other shoulder. He managed it, though, his heart breaking with each shuddering sob Dean let out. If there was a way not to take one more thing from his brother he would have done it in a heartbeat, but his life was in California, and he didn’t have a choice. 

“Sorry,” he said to the woman in front of them in line. “He’s had a rough few weeks.” 

She nodded understandingly. “I’ve had little ones too. You appreciate them now, because they grow up way too fast. You’ll miss this, one day.”

Sam chuckled wearily. She didn’t know how true that was. “Yeah. Thanks.” He bounced Dean gently a few times. “Shh… Dean, I know buddy. It’s gonna be okay.”

Dean tried not to wail, he really did. He closed his eyes, hugging Impala tightly. What if he never saw Uncle Bobby again? Mommy and Daddy went away. Sammy was nice but it was so scary. “Uncle Bobby….” Dean whimpered, and Sam bounced him. 

“I know buddy. I know.” He sighed, leaning over to kiss Dean’s head again. The words broke his heart. Dean spoke out loud so rarely; he wished he could give the little boy what he wanted.

Dean cried until his eyes felt heavy and his head drooped onto Sam’s shoulder. He sniffled as Sam hiked him up higher, and they were passing through the first line. Sam’s sigh as they passed through the check woke him a little bit, but he dropped his head back to Sam’s shoulder. 

Sam shifted his little-older brother in his arms as he approached the x-ray. He shrugged his bags down onto the conveyor, and toed out of the slip on shoes he always wore in airports, bending carefully to pick them up. He was glad that Dean’s shoes didn’t have to come off too, though he didn’t look forward to getting Impala out of his brother’s arms. 

“Can I carry him through?” He looked at the x-ray tech, who smiled and nodded. “Yeah, you can. I just need the bear on the belt.” Sam was glad their jackets had been in their backpacks, because he couldn’t imagine working it off of a sleeping Dean’s arms. He gently worked Impala out of Dean’s grip, setting the bear on the belt before stepping up to the scanner. They passed through the big metal box without difficulty, and then Sam stood so the agent could pat Dean down.

“Awww… Crap.” Sam sighed. He glanced at the veritable mountain of _stuff_ he still had to pick up. How the hell was he getting his shoes back on and picking everything up if Dean was still asleep? He shoved his wallet, papers and keys back in his pockets, and awkwardly hooked the backpacks over one arm. He managed to snag his shoes and Impala in one hand, and limped over to the benches to get his shoes on. 

Dean snuffled a little when Sam sat down, and Sam took advantage, urging Dean to sit on the bench. “Hey sweetie, wake up for me for just a sec,” he murmured, sliding an arm around Dean’s waist to hold him up. Dean made a small noise, his eyes opening briefly before closing again. Dean startled awake as somebody dropped their bag with a thump nearby. “Hey buddy,” Sam said with as warm a smile as he could muster. “You feeling better?”

Dean clung to Sam for a minute, reaching across his big brother for the bear. He nodded after he’d come a little more awake, watching as people came through the x-ray line and collected their bags.

Sam managed to slip his shoes on one handed and hoisted their bags over his shoulder. “Okay, buddy,” he said, stroking Dean’s hair. “Ready? We’ve gotta get goin’. I think you’ll like what’s next.” It was a short walk to the tram, made much easier by Dean actively participating in being held. 

Dean’s eyes widened as the tram rolled up and slowed down. _Now boarding Gates A, B, C, D and E._ The disembodied voice made Dean look around, and Sam chuckled. He carried Dean on and headed for the back where the seats were. He set Dean down on one and stood at the pole next to it.  
“You stay right there Dean, okay?” Sam held a hand out, still holding Dean’s hand as their tram car filled with people. Dean clutched Impala tightly, watching as people pressed close to Sam and filled the empty spaces. The doors whooshed closed. 

_Now departing for Gates A, B, C, D and E. Please hold on._ The train pulled away from the station, moving slowly but quickly picking up speed. Dean stared out the window, fascinated as the lights flashed by. Sam watched him with a smile, chuckling as Dean gasped in surprise as they passed brightly colored posters and murals. He pointed at one large picture of a dog. “Sammy!” 

Sam’s breath caught; it was so rare to hear Dean call for him in happiness and not fear. “I know, Dean!” He smiled broadly. “Look at the puppy!”

Dean nodded again, giggling as the train slowed to a stop. _Concourse A. Please exit to the left._ Dean looked questioningly at Sam,who shook his head. 

“We’re getting off at C, Dean,” he said, suddenly grateful they’d get a little longer on the tram. Something that made Dean giggle like that was worth savoring.

Dean was completely awake by the time they got there, looking around as Sam scooped him up while they moved off the tram. His eyes were still shuttered but he was less wary. Sam chuckled when he finally began to squirm a little, when the crowd had dissipated. “Wanna get down?” Dean nodded, so Sam let him slip to the floor, holding Dean’s hand instead. 

Dean didn’t try to wander far, but as they passed a bakery, his eyes widened at the sight of the giant cinnamon rolls in the window. He paused for just a second, and Sam stumbled slightly when he felt the tug on his hand. “What is it, Dean?” Dean didn’t answer, just hid his face against Impala’s fur, but Sam looked over where the little boy’s eyes had been. “Oh… Are you hungry?” Dean had been too worked up to eat much breakfast at Bobby’s before they left. Sam had been planning on burgers for lunch, but his brother’s hopeful gaze put the kibosh on that plan.

Impala’s fur moved slowly as Dean nodded, and then looked up at Sam. It still hurt that Dean wouldn’t talk to him, though Sam really wasn’t going to push. It would get better, he was sure. It had to. “Okay, Dean, let’s get you something to eat, yeah?” He smiled down at him and they headed into line. Dean’s eyes kept being drawn to the cinnamon rolls, and Sam chuckled. His brother always had been a sucker for sweets.

“Hi!” he greeted the woman behind the counter with a smile. “Can I get a cinnamon roll and a cherry danish? And a large coffee, and a chocolate milk.” He shuddered. The idea of that much sugar almost gave him a stomach ache just thinking about it, but it was worth it for the way Dean’s eyes lit up. 

“Sure thing. Your total is ten fifty seven.” Sam passed his card over, letting go of Dean’s hand long enough to sign the receipt. “Thank you very much. Your coffee will be out in just a sec.” She passed him a bag with the pastries and Dean’s milk, and Sam urged Dean to the other end of the counter to wait for his coffee.

“We’ll eat as soon as we get to the gate, okay, buddy? It’s not much further, we’ll be there soon.” Dean nodded again, but his big green eyes were focused on the bag Sam held.

“Black coffee?” 

Sam looked up, nodding. “That’s me, thanks.” He took it, then realized he was out of hands to hold Dean with. “Dean, can you grab my shirt? Hold on tight, okay?” 

Dean took Sam’s shirt in a death grip, hugging Impala tightly with the other hand. Luckily, their bakery stop was only four gates down from their final destination. Sam found a couple seats for them, carefully setting down his coffee and their bag of snacks so he could get the backpacks off his shoulder. 

“Alright, up you get.” Sam sat down and helped Dean clamber into the seat next to him. “Why don’t you put Impala with the backpacks?” Dean’s eyes grew wide, and he clutched the teddy closer to him. “It’s just for a minute, Dean,” Sam said patiently. “Don’t want to get him all sticky.”

Dean weighed the option. He wanted to hold onto ‘Pala. There were a _lot_ of people around, and he didn’t want to risk him getting lost. But Sammy was right, he didn’t want to get him sticky, either. He looked over at the sticky bun in Sammy’s hand, and his tummy growled. He was hungry! Reluctantly, he set ‘Pala down on top of the backpacks, and Sammy smiled. 

“Okay, Dean. Don’t make yourself sick? If you get full, we’ll just save the rest for later.” He spread a napkin on Dean’s lap and then passed him the sticky bun. Dean was thrilled; it was bigger than his _face_! He immediately ripped off an end, grinning as he shoved it in his mouth. Sammy was eating some cherry thing, but Dean barely paid any attention. He couldn’t believe this was all his! Daddy _never_ let him eat something like this all himself! 

Sam grinned as he watched Dean eat; the little boy was so excited that he didn’t even notice Sam taking out his phone and snapping several pictures, one of which he sent to Jess and Bobby, captioned ‘his just desserts’. 

Dean made it through almost half of it before his belly began to protest. He looked down at it sadly, almost ready to keep eating, when Sammy reached out and took it, putting it in the bag again. “Let’s give your tummy a break, Dean,” he said. Dean felt like crying again; he wasn’t done! But ‘Pala was sitting on the floor now, sad and lonely, and Dean wanted to cuddle him. He let out a long whine, and Sammy sighed.

“I know Dean,” he said, shaking his head. “Here, hang on…” He rummaged in his backpack for the package of baby wipes that Bobby said their dad carried all the time; he could see the utility. It took a couple minutes but he got Dean wiped up, and then passed him the teddy bear. He glanced at his phone. “Just a few more minutes before we get on the plane, buddy. Do you need to go potty?”

Dean nodded, taking Impala and holding him close. He needed to potty before they got stuck on the plane. They took a bus one time and he had to pee _real_ bad but Daddy said he had to hold it until they stopped and he’d almost gone in his _pants_ and it was bad. What if he did it here and Sammy got mad? He didn’t want to make Sammy mad.

Sam scooped up their bags. “Alright, let’s go.” He held out a hand so Dean could slide off the bench. They walked the short distance to the men’s room, and Sam ushered Dean past a few men at the urinals, to the big handicapped stall at the end. “Okay, Dean, you first.” he said, locking the stall and hanging the bags on the hook inside the door. 

Dean handed over Impala without protest. He managed his business fine, for which Sam was grateful. Dean still occasionally got tangled in his pants if they were too tight, but the jeans he was wearing seemed to be alright. “Dean, wait in the corner for me to go, please.”

Sam was blushing brightly. Sure, he and Dean had shared a bathroom like this, but then they were _both_ kids. Being twenty three years older was a whole new thing. Dean waited patiently, his eyes focusing on Impala while they waited. Sam finished as quickly as possible, and put himself together. “Okay, Dean. Let’s go. Gotta wash our hands.”

It was easier than before to manage the bags, now that he’d had a little practice, and Sam was able to hold Dean up to wash his hands _and_ keep Impala dry. When his own hands were washed, Sam ushered Dean back out into the crowd. 

Impala was bumped out of Dean’s arms, and Dean stopped with a panicked cry. “‘Pala!” He spun around, finding the bear and pulling him into his arms, holding him tight. When he looked back up, though, Sammy was lost in the sea of people. Dean promptly burst into tears. “Sammy!” He screamed in desperation.

A moment later Sammy swooped in, like Batman, and Dean found himself off the floor and in Sammy’s arms. His tears didn’t end that fast, though, and Dean buried his face against Sammy’s neck. “Shh, Dean… Shh… I’ve got you, you’re okay.” Sammy stroked his hair, rocking him gently, and Dean whimpered a little. “I’m not gonna leave you alone, remember? I promised.”

Dean nodded, sniffling and clinging to Sammy’s shirt. Sam chuckled softly, kissing Dean’s forehead. “You’re okay, Dean.” He started toward their seats again, and his eyes fell on a woman holding her baby. She had the child trussed up in a sling over her chest, leaving both her arms free. His mind flashed to the scarf he had in his backpack and he grinned. “Hey, hey, I have an idea.” He settled on the chair where they’d been before, setting the bags on the floor. Dean still clung to him, but he hugged the boy and then reached for his backpack. The scarf was near the top, luckily, and Sam pulled it out. “Okay. Let’s see if this works.” He unfolded the scarf; it was plenty wide and certainly long enough. 

 

“Put Impala here, Dean,” he said, opening the scarf on his lap. Dean looked at him skeptically, still sniffling and put the bear down where Sam pointed. Sam lifted the ends of the scarf and wrapped them around Dean, tying them across his shoulder. It seemed to do the trick; the bear was now safely ensconced in soft plaid, and Dean was able to have two hands free to hold Sam’s.

Dean was puzzled at first, when Sammy took the scarf out of his bag. He quickly got impressed, though. Sammy was the smartest! Now he wouldn’t drop ‘Pala any more, and he didn't have to be so scared of people! He hugged Sammy tight, to show his thank you.

They sat for a few minutes, until a lady’s voice sounded, right near their heads. _Attention ladies and gentlemen; Delta flight D2289 to San Francisco, now boarding first class, military, and families with young children. Please report to the boarding area now._

Sam stood up again, holding Dean against his hip. “That’s us, Dean,” he said with a little bounce. Dean clung to Sammy’s shoulders, Impala pressed tightly between them. He was suddenly scared again. They stood in a line, until a smiling lady took some papers from Sammy. 

“You have a good flight,” she said. Dean hid his face against Sammy’s shoulder; he didn’t want to talk to her. He didn’t want to talk to anyone! He tightened his grip on Sammy’s shirt. They walked down a long, cold hallway. It seemed like it got louder and louder as they went. Dean didn’t like it.

“This is actually outside the airport, Dean,” Sam explained as the line stopped, again. “See that? That’s the plane. We’re in row fourteen. Do you want to sit next to the window? We can close the blind if you don’t want to look out.”

Dean shrugged, staring down at the floor. “Here, Dean,” Sammy said as they came to the plane. “Touch the outside. For luck.” He smiled, touching it as he did. Dean reluctantly snaked a small hand out to touch the plane; it didn’t feel much different from the Impala.

Sam had to duck his head as he stepped into the plane, and carried Dean down the aisles to row fourteen. Thank goodness Bobby had the foresight to book them on the side with two seats instead of three; Sam wasn’t sure how Dean would have reacted, sitting next to a stranger for several hours.

He set Dean down in the window seat. The blind was closed, and Dean seemed to relax a little to see that. Sam put Dean’s bag overhead, tucking it in carefully. “Do you wanna color for a little bit, Dean?” He asked, reaching into his own, bigger backpack for the small bag of coloring books and crayons he and Bobby had packed. Dean nodded, so Sam handed him the bag before putting his own bag overhead.

“Okay, so let’s see,” he said as he sat down next to Dean. “Batman’s always a good choice. Why don’t you find a picture you want, and I’ll tear it out for you?”

Dean nodded. He was relaxing already. This felt like a bus, Sammy was right. It wasn’t scary! He picked a picture and Sammy pulled it out so Dean could color with the picture flat, just the way he liked. Sammy was sitting in the chair next to him, reading something. Dean didn’t really care; with Impala still tight on his chest, and Sammy next to him, everything was going to be okay.

A little while later, another smiling lady came and began to show some things off in the front of the plane. Dean couldn’t really see her, but Sammy could, and buckled Dean’s seatbelt up. “Okay, Deano,” he said. “We gotta put the table up, just until we’re in the air, okay?” 

Dean nodded and put his crayons away. Daddy always said if he wasn’t careful with his crayons, they’d run out and he wouldn’t get any new ones. Sammy reached out a big hand, and Dean grabbed it as the plane began to move. It felt good to have Sammy holding his hand, even if he’d rather be in Sammy’s lap. He always felt safe there.

“Okay, we’re gonna start speeding up now,” Sammy said, bending low so Dean could hear over the roar of the plane. “Are you sure you don’t wanna look?” Dean nodded, so Sammy just squeezed his hand. “First we’re gonna go forward, and then we’ll go up up up!”

That actually sounded kinda cool, but Dean still wasn’t sure. He clenched his hand harder in Sammy’s when he felt the plane bump once, twice, and then bump up without bumping down again. “Here we go!”

The whole thing felt tilted back, and Dean squeezed Sammy’s hand harder still. Sammy smiled. “You’re okay, Dean, I’m right here!” He said quickly. Sammy _was_ right there and Dean had always been a curious child. He reached out and pushed the window screen up, then gasped. He could see _roads!_ But everything down there looked so _tiny_. 

“Isn’t it cool, Dean?” Sammy sounded proud as Dean looked out the window. He nodded, some of his fear edging away. They were really high, but Sammy hadn’t let go of his hand, so he knew he’d be fine. He kept staring out the window until they’d climbed up, up, up, like Sammy said, over the clouds.

_Attention passengers! We have reached cruising altitudes. Tray tables may now be used. Please keep your seatbelt on when in your seats, even with the seatbelt sign turned off. In a few moments, stewardesses will be serving refreshments. Thank you for flying Delta._

“Do you want to color again, Dean?” Sammy’s voice drew Dean back to his brother, and he nodded. His eyes kept drifting toward the window again, though. It was just so cool!

He colored for a while, but the excitement of the day was catching up with him. He tugged on Impala’s arm, pulling the bear free from the sling on his chest because he wanted to hug it. His eyes drifted closed, and he forced them open again. Sam was chuckling. “It’s okay, Dean,” he said. “You can rest if you want.”

Dean’s thumb found its way into his mouth, and his head drooped down onto Sammy’s arm. He was just so sleepy! Sammy shifted him, popping the arm rest between them out of the way. Dean looked up at him blearily, but Sammy shushed him and carefully arranged Dean so he could rest across his leg. “Sleep sweet, Deano,” Sam said, stroking Dean’s hair until Dean drifted off.

Sammy gently nudged him awake a little bit later. “Hey Dean!” He leaned down, kissing the boy’s forehead. “Wanna have a snack? Some juice?” Dean blinked sleepily, then nodded. Sam chuckled. “Apple juice or orange juice?”

Dean frowned. Sammy didn’t ask too many questions that needed an answer. “Apple,” he whispered. Sammy grinned like Dean had answered the hardest question ever. 

“Apple it is! Do you want pretzels?” Dean shook his head. Why would he want pretzels? Pretzels could be yummy, but he still had _cinnamon roll_ to eat! He looked meaningfully at Sam’s seat, where the bag with the cinnamon roll sat on Sam’s tray.

“Oh… Right.” Sam laughed. “Okay, we’ll let you eat that.” He pulled down Dean’s tray table again, spreading out a napkin for the sweet treat. A pretty lady stopped next to them with a tray, and Sammy looked up at her. “Apple juice and a coffee, please,” he said, letting her reach across to put the cup of juice on Dean’s tray. Dean grinned up at her through a mouthful of cinnamon roll, and she giggled.

“I hope you like your juice, sweetie,” she said, waving to him. Dean waved back. He finished his food quickly, feeling a lot better once he’d eaten. Sammy cleaned him up again, and he and Impala started staring out the window, watching the clouds go by.

Sam smiled at his little brother. Dean had never liked flying, but it seemed _this_ Dean had warmed up to the idea, which wasn’t so bad. He sipped his coffee and watched the little boy staring at the passing clouds. It was… Nice.

_Attention passengers, we are approaching our descent. Please turn off electronics at this time, return all tray tables and seat backs to the upright position, and ensure that seatbelts are fastened. We hope you have had a nice trip, thank you for choosing Delta._

“Okay, Dean, this part might be a little scary,” Sam warned as he handed their trash to the pretty lady with the car and put the tray tables up. “I’ll be right here though. Yeah?”

Dean nodded breathlessly, and let out a little squeal as the plane dropped. It felt like they were falling _so fast,_ but none of the grown ups were worried. Dean clung to Sammy’s hand with one arm and ‘Pala with the other as he watched the world out the window get bigger, and bigger, and _bigger_ , until the airport came into view and they bounced once, twice, three times and settled on the ground. 

They taxied around the gate, and Sam pulled out his phone to text Jess, to let her know they had touched down. “We’ll wait for some people to leave first,” Sam said when they finally stopped. “What did you think… Not so scary, huh?”

Dean shook his head, tugging at his seatbelt. Sammy helped him take it off, and Dean immediately clambered into Sammy’s lap. It felt good to curl up close, so he did, the three of them just sitting quietly until it settled down around them. “Alright Dean, up you get. Let me get our bags and we’ll go meet Miss Jess, okay?”

Dean slipped back into his own seat, tucking ‘Pala close to his chest in the sling again. He didn’t want to forget him! He clutched his bag of crayons and a coloring book close to his chest as well while Sammy got their book bags down. He didn’t protest being picked up, and Sammy carried him out of the plane. 

“Thank you for flying Delta!” The smiley woman with the juice waved at him at the front of the plane. Dean gave her a shy smile and a little wave. “Bye now!” She said cheerily.

Sam carried Dean out of the long hallway and then down another hallway. Jess was waiting somewhere, and Dean wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Sammy was nice, just like Daddy said, but he didn’t know anything about Miss Jess, except what Sammy said. What if she didn’t like him? What if she thought teddy bears were silly? Dean hugged ‘Pala closer at that thought.

He didn’t realize how far they’d walked until they went down a tall escalator, Dean gasping as the steps went down,down, down. Sammy was grinning. “I see her, Dean,” he said. “Don’t worry, you’ll like her.”

They went to the bottom of the steps, where a pretty lady stood waiting and smiling. “Sam! ” She threw her arms open, hugging Sam and kissing him on the lips. Dean made a face. Kissy faces _already_?

Miss Jess laughed, and stepped back. “And you must be Dean. Hello, there.” Dean gave her a shy wave. “Can I give you a hug, Dean?” Miss Jess was quieter now. Dean liked that. He nodded, and she leaned up, hugging him just as tightly as she had hugged Sammy. “It’s good to have you home. Both of you.” She pulled back, smiling. “Now, how about pizza for dinner before we get on the road home?

Dean wasn’t sure about home. It was all too big and scary to be home. But pizza? Always a good start. He nodded his agreement with a grin.


	5. Fine Finny Fiends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again so much to Lisa for the beta. This chapter is (again) for her, as a reward for working hard on the fic she is writing even though it is very very very hard for her. I love it, so a present for her. :)
> 
> Thanks all for reading! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Dare

“Miss Jess is so nice, ‘Pala,” Dean said conversationally as he changed out of his pajamas. “Did you hear? She wants us t’ go on a picnic when Sammy gets home! And she says we can even go to the beach! That’s where the ocean is.” He pulled a face “Maybe you shouldn’t go to the beach; it might be wet. You have to stay on the towel, okay?”

The bear, predictably, didn’t answer. Dean smiled brightly, though, as he shimmied into the pair of swim trunks that Miss Jess had bought him the day before. “And she says we can have a fire, and cook dinner out there like that!” He spun around and grabbed the bear off his bed. The Batman on his pillowcase seemed to be smiling encouragingly, and Dean hugged Impala to his chest.

“Sammy’s nice too. I wish he could come home from work soon so we can go out to the beach.” He sat down on the floor to get his shoes and socks on. They were Batman tennis shoes, and his fingers trailed lovingly across the caped crusader’s face. They’d been home two days when Miss Jess took him shopping and brought awesome things back. Dean had more tee shirts and pants and jackets than he’d ever had in his _life_.

“Dean?” Miss Jess called down the hallway. “Sammy’s home. Are you ready to go?”

Instead of answering, Dean grabbed Impala and headed down the hallway, his shoes flashing lights against the wall as he went. Dean grinned at the bright colors. “Ready,” he mumbled to her as he joined her in the living room. It was still scary, talking to anyone who wasn’t Daddy or Uncle Bobby but he was trying. ‘Pala was nice, and good, but sometimes it was nice to talk to somebody who talked back. And anyway, Sammy looked sad every time he asked something and Dean didn’t talk back. It made a funny feeling in his tummy, and Dean didn’t like it.

Miss Jess didn’t seem to mind when he was quiet, though, and just ruffled his hair. “Good!” She smiled, and he couldn’t help but smile a little back. “Why don’t you help me pack our picnic while Sam changes?”

Dean could hear Sam closing the door of the car outside as he and Impala followed Jess into the kitchen. “Okay Dean. We’re going to make hotdogs on the beach. Would you like ketchup on your hotdog?” Dean nodded the affirmative, and Jess smiled. “Go ahead and get it out of the fridge then, okay?”

Dean nodded again, obediently going to the fridge and finding the ketchup on the door. He heard the front door open, and footsteps as Sammy walked in. “Dean? Jess? I’m here.” There was a rustle as he set something down in the other room.

“We’re in the kitchen,” Jess called back, and a moment later Sammy appeared in the doorway. He was in his suit and tie, the one Dean had to be extra, extra, _extra_ careful not to get anything on when Sammy was wearing it, because Sammy needed it for work. 

Sammy smiled when he saw them, and Dean held the ketchup against his chest as the tall man walked in. He bent over to give Miss Jess a kiss on the lips, then knelt next to Dean. He looked like he wanted to pick Dean up, but he stopped himself and just opened his arms so Dean could come to him instead. “Hey, Dean-o,” he said warmly. “Gimme a hug?”

Dean hesitated; he still had the ketchup in his arms, but then he set the bottle down on the floor and came forward so he could hug Sammy. Sammy gave the _best_ hugs, because he was _so_ big. 

Dean giggled when Sammy stood up, carrying him off the floor and into a little spin, like Daddy used to do, and Dean clutched Sammy’s collar with one hand, tucking his face against Sammy’s neck.

“We’re almost packed here,” Miss Jess said when they stopped spinning and Sammy was just holding Dean close. It was nice, to be this tall. Everything looked so different!

Sammy nodded, pressing a kiss to Dean’s forehead and kneeling to set Dean down. “Great. Well, I got what you asked for on the way home. I’ll just go change and be right back.” He grinned. “It’s warm enough out I bet we can go swimming. How’s that sound, Dean?”

Dean looked at little skeptical, but shrugged. He’d never been swimming before. But Daddy always said he’d teach him one day, so maybe it wasn’t so bad. 

Sammy grinned. “Okay well I’m gonna go change while you guys finish packing, then.” He made a face at Dean, sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes, making Dean giggle again, and then turned to go. Dean looked over at Miss Jess, who was shaking her head fondly.

“He’s silly, isn’t he?” She motioned to the ketchup. “Here, put that in the bag. Do you want bananas or apples for our picnic?” 

He scooped up the bottle, putting it in the cloth bag she’d set on the floor. “Apples,” he whispered after a moment of consideration. Miss Jess was standing by the fruit bowl, and grinned at him after he answered. 

“Good choice!” She pulled out three apples and set them on the counter. “I’m going to cut these up. Can you get me a baggie?” She pointed to a drawer under the counter and Dean nodded, going for the bag while Miss Jess washed the apples and began to slice them up.

Sammy reappeared a few minutes later. He was in shorts and a tee shirt, with a sweatshirt around his waist. He had a stack of towels and blankets in his arms, and Dean paused again, watching as he set them down on the floor. Some metal sticks fell off the stack, rattling as they hit the floor. 

“Those are for cooking with,” Sammy explained, seeing where Dean was looking. “You about ready, babe?”

Jess nodded. “Yeah, I’m just cutting these apples. You wanna get the paper plates out? They’re up too high for Dean to reach.” 

“Sure thing.” Sammy grinned down at Dean. “You wanna get the plates, Dean-o?” Dean nodded, still clutching the plastic bag in his hand, since Miss Jess hadn’t asked for it yet. Sammy bent, picking him up and opening the cabinet so Dean could get into it and pull the paper plates off the shelf. “Good job, buddy,” Sam said, setting Dean back onto the floor.

The rest of the packing went fast after that, with Sammy adding sunblock and a big pitcher of kool aid that Dean liked. Miss Jess would hand Dean things to put in the bag, like the hotdog buns and the bag of apples. Dean liked helping; Daddy and Uncle Bobby always said he was a good helper!

Miss Jess grabbed her jacket and Dean’s, scooping up the bag of food with her other hand, and Sammy grabbed the blankets. Dean grabbed Impala, holding the bear close as he padded out the door behind them. In the car, Sammy helped him buckle into his booster seat and then helped Miss Jess to get everything into the trunk.

“Are you ready, Dean?” Sammy glanced in the rear mirror after he buckled his seatbelt, and Dean grinned, excited. He nodded rapidly as Sammy started the car, and soon they were on their way!

Sammy started the music up as they drove; rock music, like Daddy used to play. Dean used to sing all the words, but now he just let Impala dance on his lap while they drove. Maybe one day he’d sing again. 

Dean didn’t know how long they drove; it wasn’t very long. He’d driven a lot longer with Daddy in one day. They parked next to a bunch of other cars, and Sammy chuckled. “Looks like we weren’t the only ones with this idea,” he said as he turned off the car and climbed out. “C’mon, Dean, let’s go to the beach!”

He came around to Dean’s side and helped him out of the car seat. “Maybe Impala should stay here? It’s gonna be really wet and sandy, and I wouldn’t want to get his fur messy.” 

Dean didn’t want to, he wanted to bring ‘Pala to _everything_ , but Sammy was right. He wouldn’t be much fun to cuddle if he got all wet. He slid out of the car and carefully placed Impala in the booster seat. “Wait here,” he whispered. “I’ll be back later.”

Sammy hugged him, then closed the door. “Okay Dean, let’s get the stuff out of the back of the car, okay?” Dean glanced back at the closed door, but nodded and followed Sammy to the trunk. Dean happily took two of the towels, glad he could help carry something. Sammy and Jess got everything else, including a bundle of wood Dean hadn’t seen before, and Sammy’s bag of groceries from earlier. 

They walked slowly out of the parking lot onto a wooden path that gave way to sand. Dean’s eyes widened as he saw the scene expand. Dean had been to lakes before, with little sandy beaches, but none had been as big as this. Every way he turned there was _more_ sand, and the water, he couldn’t even see the other side! Suddenly nervous, both at the sight of the water and all the families on the sand, he clung to Sammy’s leg. The towels between them made it bulky, but Dean didn’t mind; Sammy felt safe, and there was a _lot_ of water out there!

“Hey, hey…” Sammy slowed to let Dean hold onto him. “It’s okay, Dean. I know, there’s a lot of people down there. We’ll be right here with you.” He smiled down at Dean, and Dean bit his lip. The water was _huge_! But he wanted to go to the ocean, so he started to walk again, until they were on the sand and Sammy set their blankets down. 

Jess helped to get the blanket opened up, smiling at Dean as she spread it across the sand. “Alright, Dean, come put your towels over here and lets get the food set up! Then we can go down to the water before dinner.”

Dean nodded, shifting and carrying the towels to where Miss Jess pointed. It was funny walking on sand, it shifted and slid out from under his feet. He set the towels down, and then crossed the blanket to help pull the hotdogs, fruit and other food out. His eyes lit up when he saw a bag of marshmallows, a package of chocolate bars, and a box of graham crackers.

Sammy chuckled when he saw the look on Dean’s face. “Have you ever had s’mores, Dean?” 

“Nuh-uh,” Dean whispered, shaking his head. S’mores? If they had chocolate and marshmallow, they were probably pretty good. Sammy grinned. Well this was going to be fun!

“You’re gonna really like them.” He sat down and began to peel off his socks and shoes. “But first we’re gonna go in the water.” He pulled off his shirt, then reached for the sunscreen. It was late, but the sun was still out. He squirted some in his hand, rubbing himself down first while Dean watched, skeptical.

“Go ahead and take your shoes and shirt off, Dean,” Sam said, pointing to where he’d piled his own things. 

Dean looked sideways at Sam, but obediently put his shirt, shoes and socks on the pile. Sammy didn’t hesitate to squirt a handful of sunscreen and lathered Dean up. The boy yelped at the cold, but he let his brother cover him with the slick lotion. Miss Jess was chuckling, and reached for the bottle. “I’m gonna do your back, Sam. Then you boys can go into the water. I think I’m gonna get the fire pit set up, I’ll come down later, okay?”

Sam nodded and stood up. “C’mon, Dean, let’s hit the water. Miss Jess will come down soon, okay?” Dean nodded and took Sammy’s hand as they went down to the water. They got close to the water and Dean slowed down. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to get in; it was so big! 

Sammy slowed with him. “Hey, Dean, c’mon. I promise, I’ll be right there.” Dean squeezed the hand he still held, looking up at Sammy before nodding. They walked slowly toward the edge of the water together, until Dean’s toes splashed in the cool surf. The little boy let out a small sound at the chill, and Sammy chuckled. “I know, it’s cold, huh? It’ll get better once we get wet, I promise.”

Other people were splashing nearby, and Dean glanced over at them. Seeing some kids about his age seemed to give him some encouragement, because he nodded and they started forward into the water again. 

Dean let out another squeal as he got up to his knees in the water, and he shifted to grab Sammy’s leg. Samy laughed again, kneeling to pick Dean up. He hugged the boy close, kissing his forehead. “Hey, Dean-o.” He was grinning, and then suddenly took a couple big steps deeper into the water. “It’s better to do it all at once.” 

Dean wrapped his arms around Sammy’s neck tightly as they got deeper into the water. It was cold! And deep; he knew his feet couldn’t touch the bottom. He was a little scared, but Sammy’s arms held him back just as tightly, and Dean knew Sammy wouldn’t let him go. They stopped when Dean was waist deep, and Sammy smiled.

“See, Dean? Not so bad.” He took a small spin, letting Dean feel the water stream across his toes. Dean giggled slightly, and when Sammy spun again, he released one arm and let it trail across the water surface. It felt good, even if it was cold. Impishly, he slapped the water, gasping as the cold, salty water hit him and Sammy in the face.

Sammy gasped too, but then he was laughing. “Oh, is that how we’re playing it, Dean?” He grinned, and lifted one hand, the other still holding Dean securely, and angled it just so in the water. He clenched his fist and water shot up into the air, until it sprinkled onto Dean’s hair. Dean yelped, and splashed Sammy again. A brief splash fight ensued until they were both dripping and giggling.

A sound from behind them had Sam turning around. Jess was wading out to them in a pink two piece swimsuit. Dean liked the polka dots. “What’s going on out here?” She asked, a big smile on her face. “You two sound like you’re having too much fun.”

Sam grinned. “Oh yeah. Way too much fun. In fact…” He lifted a hand and then spun again, shoving water at Jess in a huge splash. Dean let out a squealing giggle, and then helped to splash as well.

Jess yelped as she was covered in the water, spluttering and wiping her face. “Oh, no,” she said, grin spreading across her own lips. “Now you’re in for it.” She began splashing at both of them, causing the boys to cover their faces against her aquatic assault.

Dean giggled and yelped until an errant splash hit him across the face. He sucked in a breath that was partly water, and the burning splutter made his eyes widen. He took a few shuddery breaths, and Sam held up a hand to Jess. “Hey, hey buddy… You’re okay..”

The little boy swallowed hard against the tears. “C-cold,” he mumbled, suddenly not having quite as much fun as he had been a moment before.

Sam chuckled. “Hey now, you’re okay.” He kissed Dean’s forehead. “C’mon. Let’s take a little walk, warm you up. No more splashing, okay?” He couldn’t help but want to encourage anything that made Dean talk. It was too good to hear his little boy voice after so many days of silence.

He started to move through the water, Jess next to him, and they towed Dean through the surf with gentle movements. “See? Not so bad, Dean. You’ll warm up. It’s okay.”

Dean still clung to Sammy, but he wasn’t scared anymore. His big brother was kinda warm, and the sun was drying his back off. Giggling as they moved, Dean let his hand trail in the water again, and then, out of nowhere, hoisted it and splashed Jess. 

She stopped with a sputter. “Why you little…” She was giggling, though, and reached out, tickling his belly until he squirmed in Sam’s arms. He squealed with laughter, splashing around and swatting her hands away.

They played in the water for a little while longer until the sun began to set and Dean began to shiver. The little boy’s teeth were chattering and he began to cling to Sammy’s neck again. Sammy chuckled. “Well I think you look a little chilly, Dean… Why don’t we go up and get to the fire?”

Dean pouted a little, but nodded. As much fun as he was having, he was _cold_. Sammy towed him out of the water and up onto the sandy beach. When they got to their blanket, Miss Jess quickly helped Dean to towel off, and wrapped the towel around him to keep him warm. Sammy toweled off quickly as well, and then went over to the fire pit. “Dean, you can play in the sand if you want, while I get the fire going?” He smiled, and Dean nodded.

“Kay,” he mumbled, and Miss Jess grinned. She held up a small plastic bucket and shovel. Where had those come from? Dean supposed Sammy must have brought them. She nodded toward the water enthusiastically.

“Let’s go down to the water, Dean, wet sand works best to build a sand castle.” She held out a hand, and Dean took it so she could lead him down to the edge of the water. “We need to fill the bucket first,’ she explained, handing him the shovel. “As full as you can, okay?”

Dean began to fill the bucket readily, grinning when Miss Jess upended it, leaving a tower of sand. “Wow!” 

“I know! Cool, huh?” She was smiling, and Dean nodded. He immediately began to fill another bucket full, wanting her to do it again. By the time Sammy called them for dinner, Dean hardly noticed the cold, since he was too excited by the little castle they’d made, having decorated the turrets with shells and rocks and leaves. It was great! He couldn’t wait to tell ‘Pala all about it.

He and Miss Jess went down to the water’s edge to rinse the sand off their hands, then trudged up the beach again to their blanket. There were far fewer people out now, going home for the night in the growing twilight. Dean smiled as he realized theirs was one of the only fires out on the beach. 

“Here, Dean,” Miss Jess said, reaching into the bag and coming up with a wipe. “Wash the salt off your hands, and Sammy can help you cook your hotdog.” Dean wiped at his hands obediently, not sure why he had to wash his hands again when he _just did_ in the water, but Sammy was sitting by the fire and Dean was too excited to question Miss Jess.

He dropped the wipe into the blanket and ran over to Sammy. “Woah woah, buddy, no running near the fire, okay?” Sammy held an arm out to keep him from getting too close, and Dean nodded. He didn’t want to make Sammy mad.

His big brother held out one of the metal sticks with a hotdog on the end. “Right. So, come sit with me and we’ll cook that, okay?” 

Dean nodded eagerly and walked more slowly to where Sammy was going to sit down. He settled between his brother’s legs and Sammy helped him to hold the hotdog over the fire. It was warmer here, and Dean leaned back comfortably. The fire crackled and popped as Sammy helped him turn the stick. Dean could see the hotdog’s skin slowly start to get darker. 

Miss Jess sat next to Sammy on the other side, and she had _two_ sticks. Dean couldn’t pay much attention to her, though, because he was fascinated as he watched the skin start to blister and darken on his dinner. 

“That looks good, don’t you think so, Dean?” Sammy pulled the hot dog out of the fire and held it up for Dean to inspect. The little boy nodded; it looked very yummy. “Okay, go get your bun and plate,” Sammy said, pointing to the little stack he had set up. Dean went readily, coming back with his bun. Sammy slid the hotdog off the stick and into the bun. “Do you need me to help put ketchup on it?”

Dean nodded again, so Sammy stood up, taking the stick with him to set it on the blanket. He helped Dean get ketchup on his hot dog, and then served him some apples and a glass of juice. “Okay, sit down right here and eat, okay?”

It took the little boy a moment to settle, but then he started eating ravenously. He was _hungry!_ All that time in the water had worked up an appetite. Sammy and Miss Jess started eating themselves just a couple minutes later, coming to hang out with Dean on the blanket while they did. 

“Dean, slow down.” Dean looked up at Miss Jess’ voice. “Small bites, and chew real good, okay? Don’t want you to choke.” She smiled, and Dean nodded, purposely taking just a little bite. “Don’t forget your apple, either.” Dean reluctantly set his hotdog down and took a piece of apple. Apple was good, but he didn’t like it as much as the hotdog he and Sammy cooked.

The hotdog was really yummy, but Dean’s mind kept drifting to the s’mores Sammy had talked about. Chocolate, marshmallows, _delicious_. It had to be. He licked the last bit of ketchup off his fingers, and swallowed his juice, but finally screwed up his courage to ask. “S’mores, Sammy?”

Sammy looked up at Dean’s tentative question. “Absolutely, Dean!” It was so wonderful to hear Dean talking again, even just a little at a time. He was done eating anyway, so he set his plate aside and grabbed the bag of s’mores supplies. “Okay, let’s go back to the fire,” he said, taking one of the sticks and settling back by the fire. “First we need to get your graham cracker ready.”

He quickly took Dean’s plate and broke a graham cracker in half, setting that on the plate. “Now the chocolate. We’re gonna put four pieces on each piece of the graham cracker.” He opened the chocolate bar, but let Dean break his candy off.

“Now the best part.” Sammy grinned as he speared the marshmallow on the stick. “Roasting! Come sit with me again Dean. Now, we gotta be careful not to let it get _too_ burnt.” He started to turn the marshmallow, just like he had done to the hotdog, but Dean took the stick back. He wanted to do it himself! Sammy let him take it, with a cautionary hand nearby just in case, and Dean grinned.

The hotdog had been fun, but the marshmallow was _awesome_.. Right up until it caught on fire. Dean yelped, dropping his stick; Sammy caught it in the nick of time. “Woah, woah, it’s okay Dean! It’s alright.” He lifted it up and blew the marshmallow out like a candle. “Here, hang on, we can fix this… Watch.” He smiled encouragingly and then pinched the outside of the marshmallow. The black bits pulled away and he tossed them into the fire, leaving only a gooey, oozing middle part. “Grab the plate, Dean,” he said, and Dean scrambled to obey. Sammy slid the marshmallow onto the graham cracker, stacking the second on top.

“There we go. One s’more.” Dean picked it up slowly, settling back down against Sammy to eat it. The chocolate was starting to melt, and the marshmallow oozed out the sides when he picked it up. He took a big bite, and grinned broadly. Awesome! 

Sammy and Miss Jess were watching him, but he didn’t really care. “Fank’oo, Sammy,” he mumbled through a mouthful of sweet. Mmm… So good. 

“You’re welcome, Dean,” Sammy chuckled, ruffling his hair. Dean squirmed a little; Sammy liked ruffling his hair a whole lot. But he couldn’t complain too much; the s’more was too yummy! He sat against Sammy’s chest to eat it, focusing on keeping his eyes open long enough to finish the treat.

Jess smiled as she watched him. “He’s a good kid,” she murmured to Sam as Dean licked his fingers sleepily. The little boy had wormed his way into her heart in just a few days. 

“Yeah, he is,” Sam agreed, cradling Dean as he started to drift into sleep. They needed to leave soon; they had things to do and Sam had to go back into the office in the morning, Sunday or not. Downside to being low man on the totem pole. He couldn’t quite bring himself to move, though, not with the quiet lapping of the surf nearby, and Dean sleeping peacefully in his lap. “I wouldn’t have chosen this, this way, but… I’m glad he’s here.”

Jess nodded. “Yeah… Me too.”


	6. The Wail of the Siren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So I really SHOULD have been working on other projects, but my dear Lisa is not feeling well, and so, in solidarity, this. For Lisa. Hope you feel better soon!

Dean hurt when he woke up. All over; every inch of him ached. He tried to breathe in, but his nose was all stuffy. He took a breath through his mouth and his chest rattled. Clutching ‘Pala close, he began to cry. His breathing got more and more labored as he started to wail, which only served to frighten him more. 

Sammy appeared in the doorway, sleep dishevelled and worried. “Dean? Dean, what’s wrong?” He crossed to the bed while Dean struggled to sit up, tangled up in the sheets. The frustration made him cry harder. His nose was dripping and the tears made his eyes sting.

Sammy sat beside him, pulling Dean into his lap. “Oh, buddy… You’re burnin’ up.” He kissed Dean’s forehead, frowning at the heat he felt there. Dean was sweaty and clearly miserable by the way he burrowed into Sam’s shoulder. Sammy stood up, holding Dean close to him, and carried him out into the living room. He got a tissue, and held it tenderly to Dean’s nose. “Blow, baby. There you go… Good…” 

Jess’ footsteps sounded in the hall. “Sam? What’s going on?” she asked sleepily as she appeared in the doorway. 

"I dunno, he's pretty hot. I think he's got a fever. Can you get the thermometer?" He was very grateful to Jess and her medical thinking, because kiddie medicines and a thermometer had appeared in their bathroom cabinet the day after Dean got home.

Dean cuddled into Sammy's lap as Miss Jess disappeared. His tears had mostly subsided, and now he was just miserable. She returned a few minutes later, her hands full of stuff Dean didn't recognize. She sat next to them, her hand cool when she set it on his forehead. It felt nice, and he whimpered when she pulled it away.

"Oh, sweetie," she said soothingly, pulling a stick from a box. She pressed it to Dean's lips. "Open up, let me take your temperature."

He complied with a sigh, letting her slide it in. It was uncomfortable, and after a few moments he began to squirm at the intrusion. Miss Jess didn't yell, though, she just kept it under his tongue until it beeped. 

"One-oh-one point three," she read off in the dim light of the lamp. "Not great, but some Tylenol should help. We can call the doctor in the morning." 

Sam nodded. "Yeah. I bet it's that bug that's been going around the daycare." He stroked Dean's hair as he spoke, something Dean had always done for him when he was sick as a kid. It seemed to help now, with Dean turning toward his touches.

"Here's your medicine, Dean," Jess said as she measured the stuff into a spoon. Dean took the spoonful when she put it to his lips, making a face as he swallowed before burrowing against Sam again.

"I'll stay up with him," Sam said as he started to stroke Dean's hair again. "You can go to bed, I know you have that eight AM tomorrow. I can work from home."

Jess hesitated, but finally kissed Dean's forehead. "Feel better, sweetie." She gave Sam a peck on the cheek too, then padded back to the bedroom. 

"Wanna watch a movie to help you fall asleep, Dean?" Sam asked as he arranged them on the couch and reached into the basket on the floor to wrap a blanket around them.

Dean was still miserable, but he nodded. As long as he had Sammy and 'Pala, he didn't care. Sammy helped him blow his nose again, and then clicked on the tv. Dean's before bed movie, an Elmo short that Jess had found at a yard sale, was still in the DVD player. Sammy clicked it on again with the remote. 

Sammy shifted them into a comfortable position, and Dean dropped his head on Sammy's chest. The medicine must have helped, because his head hurt a little less, and he was getting sleepy again. He pulled 'Pala closer. Between Sammy's heartbeat under his ear and the flickering light from the TV on low, he drifted back to sleep. 

When Dean woke up later, he was alone on the couch. Sammy sat a little ways away, typing on his laptop. He looked up when Dean whimpered, though, and smiled at him. “Hey Dean,” he said, setting his laptop aside. “Do you feel better?”

Dean shook his head, still achy and stuffy. His throat was sore and his breath still rattled when he breathed in and out. He squeezed ‘Pala closer, not wanting to get up. 

“Aww. I’m sorry, buddy.” Sammy stood up and ruffled Dean’s hair. “Just rest here, okay? We’re gonna go to the doctor in a little while. Do you want some breakfast?”

Dean shook his head, and Sam sighed. “Ok. How about some chocolate milk?” Dean nodded at that; chocolate milk could be yummy. Sammy headed into the kitchen, coming back with some crackers and a glass of chocolate milk. “Come on buddy, sit up and drink a little, okay?”

The little boy took the cup in both hands, sipping it slowly. He ignored the crackers. Sammy sipped on his own chocolate milk, until Dean was all done. “Okay Dean… Let’s get your shoes on and go to the doctor so we can make you feel better.” 

Dean didn’t move, so Sam stood up and got his shoes. “You don’t even need to change out of your pjs, how about that?” Dean nodded, and Sammy knelt by the couch to help him get his shoes on. Dean let Sammy scoop him up, still clinging to ‘Pala.

It only took a few minutes to get jackets on and go out to the car. Sammy tucked a blanket around Dean’s lap, and rearranged ‘Pala so he was tucked in too. “Okay, Dean, here we go.”

The ride to the clinic didn’t take long, but Dean was still dozing by the time Sam pulled him out of the car. They signed in and Sam settled Dean on his lap; the little boy idly watched the cartoons that were playing on the TV across the room. He didn’t even look at the toys scattered on the floor, much too tired and feverish.

“Dean Winchester?” Luckily, the wait wasn’t too long, and Sammy stood up, taking Dean with him when they were called back.

“So what’s bringing you in here today?” The triage nurse asked, glancing at her clipboard.

“Dean here woke up in the middle of the night. Coughing, congested, fever about one-oh-one, just miserable. Tylenol helped but he still seems pretty rough.”

She nodded, taking notes. “Okay, Dean, we just need to get a weight on you, and then the doctor will be in.”

Dean whimpered a little bit but let Sammy set him down and hold ‘Pala and his jacket while he stepped on the scale. As soon as the nurse said he was done, he held up his arms and Sammy scooped him back up. She led him down the hall. “Okay, just wait here, the doctor will be right with you.”

“Thanks.” Sammy stroked Dean’s hair idly, smiling when he responded like he had the night before, and sat in a chair to wait for the doctor. He grabbed a book from the stack next to their chair. “Do you want me to read to you, Dean?”

Dean nodded, and Sam smiled, opening the book. “There was a little puppy named Spot.” He read slowly, letting Dean point at pictures and tug on the book, turning the pages whenever Sam was done. They both looked up when the doctor walked in.

“Hello there!” He was an older man, maybe in his sixties, and he had a warm, genial smile. “I’m Doctor Nelson… Is this Dean?” He bent a little bit, speaking right to Dean, who immediately turned away and tucked his head against Sam’s neck. 

“Hi, Doctor,” Sam said, holding out a hand. “Yeah, this is Dean, I’m his brother, Sam. He’s not feeling too good today.”

“So I saw in my paperwork.” Doctor Nelson pulled his stethoscope out and set it in his ears. “Alright Dean, I just need you to breathe in for me, real deep, okay?”

Sam prodded him gently before Dean did as he was asked, his breath rattling in his chest as he breathed in and out. He was a little fussier when the doctor looked in his ears and nose, and as soon as he could he hid his face against Sammy’s collar again. 

“Well… It sounds like bronchitis,” the doctor said, pulling out a prescription pad and scribbling something. “Keep him hydrated, lots of soups, pedialyte, that kind of thing. A good cough syrup, I’ll give you the name of one here. Popsicles are good. I’m writing for a week of antibiotics—he should be cleared to go back to daycare on Monday, since he’ll have the weekend to be on the medicine. Lots of rest and stay warm.”

Sam took the paper, nodding as he read it over. “Okay, great. Thanks. We’ll get this filled on the way home.” He smiled as he shook the doctor’s hand, then stood up. “C’mon, Dean, let’s go get your medicine. We can get some popsicles, too, does that sound good?”

Dean nodded. They stopped at the counter for Sammy to pay, and the receptionist smiled up at him. “Hi, sweetie! Would you like a sticker?” Dean perked up a little, shrugging just a bit. His eyes widened when she passed him a bucket of stickers to look through. He didn’t have to look far, because a Batman sticker was right on top.

“Ah, hey, Batman!” Sammy grinned. “Good choice. C’mon, Batman, let’s get you home. Thanks again,” he told the receptionist, and they headed out to the car.

Sammy didn’t waste time at the store; they were in and out in just a few minutes. Dean held onto ‘Pala tight the whole time, and held his box of popsicles in the other hand while they went up and down the aisles. Sammy bought chicken and vegetables and a big sloshy box that he told Dean was broth, and, of course, the medicine. 

When they got home, Sammy set Dean back up on the couch with a movie, the blanket, ‘Pala, and a popsicle. He gave him the first dose of medicine, and tucked him in really good. “I’m going to go start lunch, Dean,” Sammy said. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Dean barely acknowledged him, already focused on Elmo. Sammy disappeared into the kitchen, though he came back to check on Dean periodically. Eventually he sat down, typing on his laptop again. Dean finally looked up from the movie, feeling sleepy and achy again. He wanted Sammy to hold him and make him feel better, but Sammy was working.

He sniffled, tucking his face against ‘Pala, fighting back tears. He wasn’t a baby! He was a big boy! But he wanted Sammy!

When the tears started to come again, Sammy looked up from his work. “Dean? What’s the matter, buddy?”

The little boy just shook his head, starting to cry harder when the words wouldn’t come.

“Hey, hey…” Sammy stood up and crossed to the couch, pulling Dean into his lap again. “It’s okay buddy. I’m right here… You’re okay…” His big hand wound up in Dean’s hair, and the little boy relaxed, sniffling into his big brother’s shoulder. He had Sammy. Everything would be okay. With that thought, he drifted into sleep, warm and safe once again.


	7. When the Rat's Away, the Mice Will Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Lisa, tireless beta, who never lets me get away with whining or not buckling down when I need to. Thanks for the kick in the rear! 
> 
> This is a much needed fluff bit after working on my dcbb for two months straight! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Dare

“Okay, Dean.” Sammy sat beside him on his bed, tucking his awesome Batman comforter tightly around him. “Tomorrow I have to go back to work.” Dean clutched ‘Pala tighter, and squeezed Sammy’s fingers. They’d only been home a week, and Dean wasn’t ready to let Sammy out of his sight.

He let out a little whimper, and shook his head. “Sammy,” he whispered, feeling tears welling in his eyes. “Dun wanna…” It wasn’t fair! Sometimes daddy went to work and came back hurt and sad, and now he was _gone_ , and Uncle Bobby was gone, and what if Sammy went to work and never came back too? He squirmed out of his blankets, and scrambled up into Sammy’s lap.

“Woah, woah, hey…” Sammy opened his arms up wide and pulled Dean in, kissing his forehead. “It’s okay, Dean.” He hugged him gently, running soothing fingers through his brother’s hair. “Miss Jess has class tomorrow, so you’re going to come to work with me. There’s a daycare there! You’ll get to meet lots of other kids, play fun games, and at lunch time I’ll come down and you can eat with me! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Dean sniffled against Sam’s collar and shrugged a little bit. Daddy never took him to work with him; maybe Sammy’s work was safer for little boys? “Other kids?” His voice was very soft. He tried to use his words, because Sammy liked it, but it was _hard_.

“Yeah, Dean, other kids.” Sam kissed Dean’s forehead again. It was strange how easy it was to be affectionate to Dean when he was like this. When they’d grown up together, John’s style of affection was a slap on the back, ruffling hair. When it was just the two of them sometimes Dean would give or accept a hug, but this level of affection? Never. A wave of sorrow for the boy Dean had been before washed over him, and Sam gave Dean a little tighter hug. 

“You’ll have a great time.”Dean reciprocated, clingy again like he’d been at Bobby’s. Once again Sam was determined to give Dean everything he needed. He wasn’t sure how long Dean would be like this, or what he’d remember when he was an adult again, but for now, Sam meant to be sure that Dean would never feel unloved, even for a moment.

The little boy clutched his teddy with his free arm, and looked up at Sam with those big green eyes. They broke his heart every time. “‘Pala?” The plaintive whisper was enough to have Sam brushing the tawny hair back from the boy’s face.

“Of course ‘Pala can come with you,” Sam said, forcing a smile. Dean needed to see that this could be positive, a good thing. They couldn’t afford for him to be traumatized by the daycare. “But tomorrow’s gonna be a big day, Dean. I think you need to get some sleep. Do you want me to lie down with you for a little while?”

Dean nodded immediately, and clung to Sammy a little tighter. “Okay,” Sammy said, and pulled the covers back again. He scooted on the bed until he was lying down, Dean still tucked against his chest. Impala was squashed between them, his Batman cape all rucked up. Dean smoothed it down carefully as Sammy pulled up the covers. 

“Okay. Let’s try to get some rest, right?” Dean nodded again as Sammy started to stroke his back. His big brother was so warm and strong, Dean felt safe again as he let Sammy hold him close. His rumbling voice was low and sweet as he began to sing. “Hey Jude… Don’t make it bad…” The familiar song, quiet as a lullabye, eased Dean into sleep.

Sam lay with Dean a long time, feeling more protective than usual, and oddly reluctant to leave the little boy in his own bed. Only remembering that they were trying to encourage him to feel safe in his own space was enough to eventually pull him away from Dean’s side.

Jess was studying at the kitchen table, her books stacked around her now that their office had been co-opted to a little boy’s bedroom. “Hey beautiful,” he said, coming up behind her to kiss the nape of her neck. “Coming to bed any time soon?”

“Hey yourself.” She shook her head, tipping her face up for a real kiss as she unbent a little to wrap her arms around his neck. “Mmm... No,” she said reluctantly, sighing. “I’ve got that big test with Professor Waker tomorrow. Is Dean asleep?”

“Yeah. He had a little bit of anxiety about daycare, but I think he’s gonna be okay.” Sam sighed and dropped into the chair opposite her. “Is there anything I can do to help you? I’ve gotta hit the hay soon. First day back at the office…” He sighed. It was so surreal to know that he wasn’t going back to _classes_ , but there was just no way. His retaining custody of Dean had hinged on the job, so he’d taken it. 

Jess reached out, squeezing his hand. “No, I’m good. You go on ahead, I’ll come up in a bit. It’s gonna be okay, Sam. Really. Dean’s a strong kid, and you loved this job. Just give it a little time.”

“I know,” Sam agreed. “And really, the job will give me more time to find a cure for Dean. Things will get back to normal. Somehow.” He stood up and crossed to kiss her forehead again. “Don’t stay up too late. You’ll do better on the test if you get some sleep.”

She grinned, pinching his butt before he could pull away. “Yes, _dad_ ,” she said, teasingly. “Go get some sleep yourself. Big day tomorrow.” Her tone softened, and she tugged him down for another real kiss. “I love you,” she said. “And Dean does, too. You’re the best big brother in the world.”

Sam flushed. “I had a good teacher,” he said, nodding down the hallway before finally pulling away. “Night, then… See you tomorrow.”

“Good night, sweetie.”

The next morning, Sam woke up with Dean plastered against his side. The first night he’d been with them, Dean’s anxiety had quickly gotten the better of him, and Sam had gone to comfort him. They’d gone to join Jess in bed, and Dean had settled between them with a few quiet whimpers. Since then, the little boy had found his way into Sam and Jess’ room, and their bed, every night. The little boy didn't make it long any night in his own bed, but it seemed when he was more anxious, he moved sooner.

“Hey buddy,” Sam said, smiling and stretching. Dean blinked at him sleepily, Impala wrapped tightly in his arms. “Why don’t you snuggle with Jess for a few more minutes while I take a shower, huh?”

Dean nodded, letting his eyes drift closed. Sam smiled, pressing a kiss first to Dean’s brow, then Jess’, before he headed into the kitchen to get coffee started. He grabbed his underwear before he went into the bathroom; he’d learned that Dean wasn’t shy about asking questions, and he definitely wasn’t used to dressing in front of such prying eyes. He showered quickly, and slipped into the bedroom to finish dressing.

“Okay, Dean,” he said, hearing Jess’ alarm start to go off. “Time to get ready, buddy.” He knelt on the edge of the bed, pulling the pliant little boy into his arms. Dean mewled a protest, but let Sam carry him to the bathroom. “Go potty, Dean, and we’ll go get dressed, okay?”

Dean grumbled, but obediently set Impala on the sink so he could go to the bathroom. He waited for Sammy to turn the water on, as he always did, to help him tinkle. It was always easier to tinkle when he could hear the water running. When he was done, Sammy helped him wash his hands. 

“Okay, Dean,” Sammy said, setting him down. “Time to get dressed. Can you go do it yourself?”

Dean looked up at him, his eyes wide, but he nodded. He was a big boy! He knew he could do it. He wished he could stay with Miss Jess, but he knew that Sammy would make sure he was safe. And it _would_ be nice to see some other kids. Maybe. He clutched ‘Pala to his chest as he padded back into his room. He found his favorite Batman shirt, the one with the cape on it that fluttered when he ran, and his shorts. He didn’t care that four or five pairs of pants ended up on the floor until he found the ones he wanted.

Sammy appeared in the doorway just after Dean finished pulling his shirt on. “Ready for breakfast, Batman?” He smiled brightly, and Dean pulled a face. He wasn't hungry this morning, but how could he say no to Sammy? Daddy always said to eat when there's food, because you might not get to eat later. So he nodded, but held up his arms to be picked up. Sammy was wearing a really fancy outfit; Dean was a little bit nervous to touch him, but his big brother didn’t hesitate when he walked closer.

"Okay buddy, let's go." He grinned. "I made you peanut butter and banana toast, with honey." That was a surefire way to get Dean to eat, he'd found. Honey on just about anything could tempt Dean's tastebuds. He scooped Dean up, not commenting on the boy's desire to be held. Truth be told, he wasn't crazy about leaving Dean with strangers, but they really didn't have much choice, and the free childcare made a big difference in their budget. 

He settled Dean into the booster seat at the table, the fingers of toast on his Batman plate. A cup of chocolate milk was next to that. "Ok Dean, eat up." He settled Impala next to him at the table, knowing Dean was careful enough not to get anything on his buddy.

Dean picked at the toast, but when Sam heard the first crunch, he headed to the fridge. For today, at least, he was packing a lunch for both of them. He was going to eat with Dean, and didn't want to worry about any kind of delivery service delaying their meal. Hearing the shower start up, he grinned and pulled out enough to make one for Jess, too. She'd appreciate it, he thought, with her test and everything. 

He looked over his shoulder. "How about chicken salad sandwich for lunch, Dean?"

Dean shrugged. Sammy made good sandwiches, and daddy always said to eat what you’re told. Even if Sammy _did_ really like to eat vegetables. Sure enough, he could see Sammy putting carrot sticks _and_ apple slices in baggies. He hoped Sammy would remember the fruit snacks; Miss Jess always let him have fruit snacks with lunch.

Dean finished his toast as Miss Jess wandered in, wearing jeans and a hoodie. She looked warm, and Dean just wanted to cuddle in nice and close. Instead, Sammy gave her a kiss and passed her a cup of coffee, then grabbed a rag off of the sink. “Okay, Dean, let’s get your hands and face washed; we need to go.”

Dean pouted, but let Sammy wash his hands and lips. He grabbed for Impala as Sammy took his dishes. Miss Jess bent over to kiss his cheek. “You have a good day at daycare, Dean,” she said, giving him a hug. “I can’t wait to hear all about it tonight!”

Sammy came over with their lunch bag, and bent to scoop Dean into his arms. “C’mon, buddy, let’s go get your shoes on.” He gave Jess a kiss, smiling as he passed her. “Good luck babe, I know you’re gonna rock that test. I’ll see you tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah. I’ll pick Dean up when I’m done with class.” She leaned over to kiss Dean’s cheek too. “Be good today, Dean, I’ll see you this afternoon, okay?”

Dean nodded; he knew it made Sammy sad when he didn’t use his words, but he didn’t want to talk. He clutched Sammy’s neck, ‘Pala tucked under his free arm, as Sammy carried him to the couch. “Wanna wear your Batman shoes, Dean?”

“Mmhm…” He nodded tentatively, sticking his feet out so Sammy could help him. Usually Dean could do it himself, but today, he wanted Sammy to do it. Anything to keep them from leaving sooner.

It didn’t take Sammy long, though, to get them both ready. They were out and in the car in the next few minutes, and Dean hugged ‘Pala tightly to his chest after Sammy buckled him into his car seat. His tummy felt funny, but there wasn’t anything for him to do about it.

Sammy kissed his forehead and closed the door. A minute later the car started and AC/DC roared from the speakers. Dean cuddled Impala close, he didn't let him dance like he usually did. Squeezing him made his belly feel better.

Sammy didn't try to talk to him, just drove them to the city. Dean watched the buildings pass; there were so many people! It made him a little nervous; daddy really didn't go in big cities like this. Sammy drove them to a big building, and then, drove them _into_ the building! Dean could hardly believe it! They drove up and up and up, passing lots of other cars, until Sammy parked them. 

"We're here, Dean," Sammy announced as he turned the car off and climbed out. After he let Dean out of the seat, he grabbed their two bags. Dean pouted, holding his arms out for Sammy. "Don't you think you can walk, Dean?" Sammy asked gently.

Dean shook his head; his tummy still hurt and the building was so loud and echo-y. Sammy sighed, but he didn't sound mad. He readjusted his bags and then bent, pulling Dean into his arms. Immediately Dean put his head against Sammy's shoulder. It was less scary when he could smell him and feel his hair brush his cheek. 

Sammy carried him up to the elevator, cuddling him close. "Wanna push the button for me, Deano?" He asked, jogging him a little.

Dean peeked out from where he'd pressed to Sammy's side, and saw a row of buttons. "We need up, Dean." Dean poked the up button, and a second later the door opened. Sammy carried him in, and then faced the wall. "Now we need number three."

Dean poked the button and as it lit up, the door closed. Dean clutched Sammy's shoulder as the floor dropped, but then it slowed. Sammy chuckled. "It's ok Dean." He kissed Dean's hair, and Dean dropped his head again. Sammy kisses were the best. He wasn't sure but he thought Sammy gave more kisses than daddy did. He didn't want to think about daddy, though, because that made him sad, and he was already scared. He clenched Impala tighter as Sammy carried him out into a brightly lit hallway.

"Ok Dean, this is my building. You'll come here with me sometimes when miss Jess has class." He walked up to a big desk. The girl behind it looked up and waved at Dean; Dean hid his face again. 

"Hi," Sammy said, stepping close. "I'm here to drop Dean Winchester off?" Dean clung harder again. Why couldn't he stay with Sammy? 

"Oh, Sam, right? I'm Lily, we spoke on the phone. I just need you to sign this paperwork and we'll get him in there."

It took a little juggling, but Sammy managed to get a hand free so he could sign. "I want to come down at lunch time and see him, is that okay?"

"Of course! We encourage family involvement. And we have your number, so if we need you, we can call." 

"Great." Sammy chuckled and then nudged Dean. "Ready to go meet your teacher, buddy?"

Dean gave a little whimper. He knew Sammy wanted him to talk but he really couldn't do it right now. He shook his head, and clung, but Sammy didn't stop moving. He carried Dean through the big door. Immediately, the noises crashed across him. Kids giggling, toys crashing. Dean cuddled even closer.

"Hello!" A perky lady spoke from behind him. "I'm Tina, you must be Sam... And is this Dean?" Dean didn't want to look, but he finally peeked through his fingers. She stood there, her brown hair all messy and her shirt all rumpled. It looked like she had been playing.

"Yes, this is Dean. He's a little shy." Sammy bounced him a few times. "Dean, can you say hi to Tina? She's going to watch you until I come back." 

Dean gave the tiniest wave. Sammy beamed a smile at him. "Okay, Dean... Why don't we go color a picture?" He carried Dean over to a little table, sitting down on a chair. His knees folded up really high, and Dean perched on the edge of them. Wasn't Sammy going to work?

"I need your help, Dean," Sammy said seriously. "My office is really boring. I could really use a picture to hang up, but I'm not too good at coloring. Can you help me?"

Dean peeked at the table. It was covered in crayons and paper. Tentatively, Dean reached out for a brown one. He glanced up, and Sammy took a blue crayon. "Can I make the sky, Dean?"

Dean nodded, and after Sammy started to color, Dean did too. He very carefully drew a gangly, long figure, and a smaller one, with long yellow swirls on its head. The smallest figure had a brown blob in it's arm. Dean scribbled green on the bottom, and looked up at Sammy. 

"Good job, Dean! Is that us?"

Dean nodded. His tummy felt a little better, because Sammy was proud of him. He clutched at Sammy’s hand, but Sammy was shifting. Deares e, he heard a noise in front of him. Sniffling, he looked up. Another little boy, his size, sat across from him. His bright red hair curled in tight ringlets, and Dean wanted to pull them, just to see if they were as springy as they looked.

He knew better, though, and hugged ‘Pala tighter as the boy plopped down in front of him. “Hi! I really like your Batman shirt! Batman is my favorite, ‘cause he’s always driving his car really fast! I’m Lucas! What your name?”

Dean sniffled, and gave a little shrug. He didn’t really feel like talking. Lucas gave him a concerned look, tilting his head a little bit. “Don’t you know how to talk?” Dean shrugged again, and Lucas picked up a crayon. “My mommy says I learned how to talk too fast. But she says I tell the best stories. Do you wanna hear a story?”

Dean swallowed, but this time he nodded. Lucas didn’t seem to care if Dean talked, so Dean didn’t care if Lucas did, either. So Lucas launched into a rambling story about a dog that climbed mountains and hunted dragons and flew to the _moon_. Dean and ‘Pala listened intently, and eventually Dean picked up a crayon. He wanted to draw a picture of the dog on the moon!

Lucas’ story faded into a comfortable background noise while Dean and ‘Pala colored. After a while, Dean heard footsteps. He fought the urge to curl up again, but Lucas just giggled. “Miss Tina, Miss Tina! Look! We made pictures of Abe, the Wonder Dog!” He held up his picture, and then nudged Dean’s foot under the table. Shyly, Dean held his up as well. 

“Oh, Lucas! Is he climbing a mountain?” Miss Tina was kneeling near the table, looking at the pictures closely. “That’s very nice!” She turned her attention to Dean. “Dean? What did you draw?” She looked at it, and smiled when she realized the stars were all around the moon. “Did he make it all the way to the moon? What a very brave dog! That is a very nice picture, Dean.”

Dean blushed, looking away again, but he had to smile a little. If she liked it, Sammy probably would, too. “Why don’t you two go play with the water table?” She pointed across the room, where some other kids in smocks were splashing in a table full of water. There were boats and duckies floating in it, and it _did_ look pretty fun. But what about ‘Pala?

As though she read his mind, Miss Tina touched his shoulder. “Dean? Why don’t you let me show you your cubby. Your bear can wait there for you while you play with the messy stuff, okay?”

Dean hesitated, but that water table looked _really_ cool. So he nodded, and Lucas followed while they went to the one with the cubbies. Dean’s had his name on top, in bright blue letters, written on a red car. His bag from Sammy was already in it, and Dean perched ‘Pala inside. As soon as his bear was safely placed, Lucas grabbed his hand. “C’mon, Dean! Let’s go get our smocks on! Water table is the _best!_ ”

The two little boys ran across the room, one excited and one hesitant. But Dean let Miss Tina help him into a smock, and then followed his new friend to the water table. This time, Lucas’ story about Abe the Wonder Dog was about how he sailed the seven seas, battling sea monsters and ferocious giant duckies! Lucas told _the best_ stories.

“Okay everyone! Lunch time!” 

Dean’s head whipped toward the door. Lunch time! Sammy was coming for lunch, wasn’t he? Sure enough, a moment later the door opened, and Sammy walked in. Dean couldn’t help himself; he ran across the room and wrapped himself around his brother’s legs.

“Hey, Dean!” Sammy said, wrapping Dean up in a big hug. “Are you having a good day?”

Dean shrugged a little. He _was_ having fun, but he’d rather be with Sammy and Jess. But Lucas was nice. Sammy carried them over to the table again, sitting down with Dean in his lap. “Did you meet any friends?”

Dean nodded, and suddenly Lucas was there. “Hi! I’m Lucas! Are you Dean’s daddy?”

Sammy wrapped an arm around Dean’s waist, hugging him close. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m Dean’s big brother, but he lives with me. Are you Dean’s friend?”

“Yep!” Lucas grinned. “My mommy sent me doritos and cheetos for lunch and she says I can share if I want to! Dean, do you want some of my chips?”

His friend’s rapid fire talking was familiar already, and Dean nodded. Sammy and Jess didn’t buy too many chips, except yucky green kale chips that tasted like _salad_.

Sammy chuckled and let Dean off his lap. “That’s very nice of you, Lucas,” Sammy said, helping Dean into a chair. “Why don’t you sit with us? You can share some of our apple slices. I’m just going to get our lunches, Dean, okay?”

Dean nodded, watching anxiously as Sammy headed back to the door. He got the lunch bag out of the bag he’d packed with Dean’s things, and carefully put Impala back on top to guard everything. At the table, he set out Dean’s sandwich, then his own, and then the fruit, and even fruit snacks! Lucas had a sandwich too, and the chips, and the apples.

Dean started on the sandwich first; Miss Jess always said that he needed to take his time and eat ‘real food’ first. Chips, she said, were _not_ real food. So he had a few bites of sandwich, then an apple piece, _then_ some chips. Sammy held his hand the _whole_ time, so Dean didn’t feel lonely.

“Okay, buddy, I have to go back to work now.” Sammy sounded sad, but this time, Dean wasn’t quite as scared. He nodded bravely. He could be a big boy for Sammy. “I’ll see you when I’m all done with work, okay? And then maybe we can go to the park.”

That actually sounded really good. He didn’t mind playing with Lucas; daddy never really had any friends for him to play with before, but Lucas was really cool. He smiled tentatively, and let Sammy hug him. Before he could get too sad watching Sammy leave, Lucas grabbed his hand. “Dean! Let’s go play playdoh!”

It was easy, after that, letting Lucas tow him around. He had a lot of good ideas for stories, and even made Dean giggle a few times. It was nice to have a friend. Eventually, mommies and daddies started to show up. Dean couldn’t help but watch anxiously for Sammy, but before he walked in, a lady with the same red hair that Lucas had stepped through the door.

“Mommy!” Lucas darted toward her, and she knelt to scoop him up. “Hello, sweetie! Did you have a good day?”

“Yes! I met a new friend, his name is Dean and he’s _really_ nice, and he shared his apples ‘cause I shared my chips and his big brother’s name is Sammy and can he come over mommy, _please_.”

She laughed, and it was a nice sound. Dean liked it. He wondered what having a mommy would be like. He didn’t really remember his mommy too much. 

“We’ll have to see.” She answered, and turned to go. Lucas waved. 

“Bye, Dean!”

 

Dean waved back. Just then, the door opened again and it was _Sammy!_ Dean darted up to him and wrapped Sammy in his arms again. 

“Hey, buddy! Were you good for Miss Tina this afternoon?”

He nodded, snuggling up close again as Sammy picked him up. He carried Dean to the cubby, and Dean held out his arm for ‘Pala. Before they could leave, though, Lucas was explaining that Sammy was Dean’s brother, but they lived together, and could she _please_ ask if Dean could come over?

She chuckled and talked to Sammy for a few minutes. Dean didn’t really pay much attention. Sammy was warm, and ‘Pala made a good pillow. Before he knew it, he’d drifted to sleep.

Sammy chuckled as he finished exchanging numbers with Lucas’ mom. They promised to meet up for a play date sometime soon. He carried the sleeping Dean out to the car as quietly as he could, smiling as Dean let him buckle him into the booster seat without a complaint. He couldn’t wait to hear about Dean’s first day, but apparently that would have to wait until after a nap.


	8. The Joker Trumps an Ace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another bit of fluffy, mostly written while I was in Australia. Also note I'm adding dates, to help match the timeline since it jumps around so much. Look for them to be added to previous chapters. Thanks as always to Lisa for the beta and encouragement!
> 
> Dare

October 10, 2009

 _The car was slipping and sliding everywhere. Daddy had buckled him in good, but it was really scary. Dean whimpered, gripping the edges of his seat. Daddy had been singing along with the tape, but then the car skidded and slipped and then the car was_ spinning _. Dean screamed, and Daddy was screaming too, and then the tree came, and the car wasn’t spinning anymore._

Dean sobbed into ‘Pala’s fur, quietly, clutching the bear to his chest. “Daddy,” he whimpered, knowing that the man wouldn’t be coming. He didn’t wake up screaming every time anymore, but Sammy still seemed to _know_ when he needed him. He always did. Dean waited a few minutes, holding ‘Pala close, but Sammy didn’t come. He could hear voices in the living room; it sounded like Miss Jess. He slid out of the bed, padding toward the noise. Everything would feel better as soon as he could _see_ someone. Miss Jess wasn’t as good as Sammy, but she would do. 

“I know, mom… But listen… It’s not as simple as it used to be.” Miss Jess sat on the couch, illuminated by the flickering light of her computer screen. Dean hesitated; he didn’t want to interrupt her, even if he _really_ wanted a cuddle. But Daddy always said to be polite when grown ups were talking.

“You said that, JJ, but you still haven’t explained what you mean! And what’s going on with Sam? First I hear that he’s had a family emergency, and now he’s, what, working at the law firm again, and dropping out of law school?”

Dean cowered back from the unfamiliar voice, tripping over his own feet and landing with a thud. More surprised than hurt, the fall still startled him back into tears. Jess whipped her head around. “Hang on mom. Hang on.”

She stood up, holding her arms out to Dean as soon as she got close. “Shh… Hey Dean… Did you have a bad dream, sweetie?” Well. This wasn’t how she’d planned on telling her mother about Dean; she and Sam had been waiting, but it didn’t seem like they were finding a cure any time soon. Even though it had only been a week, Jess thought maybe she was more resigned than Sam was to the likelihood that they were going to be in this for the long haul. She scooped him up, rocking him a few times, and then carried him to the couch with her, bracing for her mother's surprise.

“Oh! JJ! You didn’t tell me you were babysitting tonight!”

Jess bounced Dean a little on her knee, tugging the boy into her arms a little more comfortably. “Yeah… I’m not. Mom, Sam’s family emergency? His dad was killed, in a car accident. This is his little brother, Dean. Dean’s mother died when he was born… Sam went back to South Dakota to clear things up, and now Dean is living with us.”

Her mother let out a little sound of surprise. When Jess looked up, her mother had tears welling in her eyes. “Oh… JJ! I had no idea!” She reached out, as though she could touch them through the computer screen. 

“No, I know. We've only had him home a week. We didn't want to tell anyone until we were a little more sure it was going to be a permanent thing. The courts were kind of making things difficult.” Dean snuggled against Jess, sniffling softly. Miss Jess sounded sad; Dean didn’t want to talk about Daddy either. The lady on the computer sounded nice, but he really just wanted Miss Jess to cuddle him. He sniffled more loudly, and Miss Jess looked down. “Sorry, sweetie, you must still be sleepy, huh?” She shifted, kissing his forehead. “Listen, mom, I’ve gotta get him back to bed… I love you. I’ll talk to you tomorrow?”

“Of course. Of course. Love you, sweetie. Have a good night, Dean.” Dean waggled his fingers, but buried his nose against Miss Jess’ shoulder as she cut the connection.

“Come on, Batman,” Miss Jess said fondly as she stood back up. “How about I lay down with you for a little while?”

Dean nodded, and Miss Jess carried him back into his bedroom. Soon he was tucked in, and Miss Jess lay down beside him. The nightmare faded into the back of his mind as she carded fingers through his hair and started to hum _Hey Jude_. Warm and feeling safe again, Dean drifted back to sleep.

[center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center]

Jess woke to the smell of bacon frying. She yawned, stretching; it wasn’t like Sam to get up early when he had worked late, but it wasn’t unheard of, either. Then her hand touched a warm head; looking over, she blinked in surprise. It wasn’t Dean, crawled into their bed, it was _Sam_.

“Honey!” She whispered, shoving at his arm in alarm. “Wake up!” 

Sam startled awake. “Wha? What is it? Is Dean okay?”

“There’s someone here,” Jess said, narrowing her eyes at the hallway. “I’m going to get Dean.”

Sam rolled out of bed, pulling the bat out from underneath. He preceded Jess down the hall, and she stepped into Dean’s room as Sam continued into the hallway. Kneeling, she pulled Dean into her lap. The little boy mumbled sleepily, but she hushed him, just to hear a feminine shriek. 

“Mom?” Sam’s voice carried, and Jess looked up in surprise as Dean startled awake. 

“Sam!” Jess’ mother’s voice came down the hall and Jess stood up, carrying Dean toward the kitchen. Sam laughed, and as Jess came around the corner, she saw Sam hugging her mother.

“Mom?” Jess couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice. “What are you doing here? It’s a five hour drive from Anaheim!” Of course she was as perfectly coiffed as ever, her turquoise turtleneck accented with a string of perfect pearls, not a single blond hair out of place.

Her mother pulled away from Sam and turned to her. Dean sleepily buried his face against Miss Jess’ neck. It was the lady from the ‘puter, and Dean didn’t want to talk to her. He was too sleepy, and Sammy always wanted him to use his words. He didn’t like it.

“JJ! I know, I know… It’s a long trip, but after I saw this sweet boy, I knew I had to come down. I left as soon as we hung up. You and Sam have so much to focus on! I thought for a few weeks I could come up and help, until you’re into the swing of things.”

“Oh, uh, wow, mom… That’s really nice of you…” Jess could feel Dean starting to tremble in her arms, so she turned and passed him to Sam. Immediately the little boy curled even more tightly in his big brother’s arms, as Jess let her mother hug her. “We aren’t really settled in yet, though.”

“Of course, of course. The first couple weeks are the hardest! But I thought you could use a little help shopping for him. And I thought I could cook up a few weeks of meals and freeze them. That way you two won’t have to worry about that.” 

“Oh, well…” Jess shot a look at Sam. She loved her mother, really, but she’d thought that five hours away was far enough to save her from these random ‘helpful’ moments. Apparently not. Before she could muster another retort, her mother had turned back to Sam and advanced on Dean.

“Hello, sweetie!” She smiled brightly, holding out a hand to him. “I’m JJ’s mommy… My name is Constance, but you can call me Gramma Connie.” Dean shrunk away from her, hugging Sammy’s arm tight. He didn’t want to talk to anyone yet.

Gramma Connie didn’t seem to mind, though, she just stepped back. “Just let me finish this bacon and I’ll make waffles.” She looked over at Sam and Jess, still standing bewildered next to the range. “Go on, sit down! There’s coffee, too. I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

Dean was still huddling against Sam, and he chuckled a little. "Let me go help Dean change clothes," he said quickly. "We'll be right back."

He carried Dean out of the room as Jess began to fill a cup with coffee. "Mom... It's great to see you, but it really wasn't necessary." Jess didn't want to hurt her mother, but Dean was still so fragile! Some of the bruises from the safety belt hadn't even healed yet, and he was so very timid.

"Of course it was necessary! I'm your mother!" Connie flipped the bacon and began to rummage in the cupboards, finally pulling a beat up old waffle iron out and setting it on the counter. "This might not be how I anticipated getting my first grandchild, but I'm not complaining."

Jess flushed. "And I appreciate it, mom, really. But Dean is just in such a fragile place, mentally. We've been trying to keep him... A little more sedate, until he's settled."

"Well that's only natural! He's been through a traumatic time! But that's nothing some good old fashioned chocolate chip waffles can't fix." She chuckled and began pulling milk, eggs and flour out of shopping bags at her feet. "Or at least they can help."

Jess sighed, pouring creamer into her coffee and resigning herself to doing damage control with Dean until her mother was gone.

[center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center]

Sam set Dean on the bed, then turned his attention to the dresser. “Hmm… What do you think, Dean? Do you want to wear your Batman shirt today?” He held up the shirt in question, smiling when Dean nodded at least a little. The familiar shirt, beginning to fade from being washed every night, was passed over without hesitation. Sam wouldn’t begrudge Dean anything that made him feel more comfortable.

“Go ahead and put that on, buddy, and I’m gonna find you some clean pants.” He waited until Dean was obediently pulling off his pajama top, then turned to the drawers again. “Yanno, Dean, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk to Gramma Connie.” He pulled out a pair of shorts and turned back to Dean. He’d pulled his shirt on, and obediently took the shorts and started to change.

Dean looked up in surprise at the offer, though, and Sammy chuckled. “I know, I know, I said it’s always polite to use your words, and it is. But Gramma Connie is pretty new, and you’ve had a rough few days. So as long as you’re polite, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk to her just yet.”

Dean flushed as he pulled his shorts on, and held out his arms to Sammy. He didn’t have to talk if he didn’t want to? It felt a lot easier to think about going to see the lady… Gramma Connie… knowing that he didn’t have to talk. The bacon smelled really good, so maybe he could just eat a little? He grabbed ‘Pala off the bed as Sammy scooped him up, and snuggled in close. 

They reentered the kitchen just as Gramma Connie pulled the first chocolate chip waffle off of the waffle iron. “Oh! There’s my boys!” She smiled broadly. “Dean, are you hungry? I’ve got bacon, and eggs, and chocolate chip waffles!” As though anyone walking into the house couldn’t smell all of those things. 

He nodded a little bit. He _was_ hungry. But he buried his face in Sammy’s lap, and when Sammy bent to put him in his booster seat, Dean whimpered and clung on. Sammy didn’t force him to sit by himself; he just pulled the chair back further and sat down as well.

“Those sound great, mom, thanks.” Sam bounced Dean on his knee, and patted Dean’s empty chair. “How about you let Impala sit in your booster seat while you’re eating, Dean? That way he won’t get sticky.”

Dean hesitated, but eventually nodded and set the bear down. Miss Jess brought over Dean’s cup of milk and Sammy’s cup of coffee, and sat down next to Sammy on his other side. Dean looked over just in time to see Gramma Connie put down a plate with a big chocolate chip waffle, all chopped up into bits. It was covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup, and even had a cherry on top! He looked up at her, wide eyed, even as Miss Jess made an incredulous noise. 

“Mom! You realize this is _breakfast_ , right?”

Dean frowned a little bit, leaning back into Sammy. The waffle looked so yummy! But he didn’t want to get in trouble for eating it, and Miss Jess didn’t sound happy. Sammy jumped his knee up and down a little until Dean relaxed. 

“Oh, JJ! It’s a special occasion! Anyway, it is a grandmother’s prerogative to feed junk food.” She smiled warmly at Dean. “Go ahead, sweetie, you can eat it. JJ just gets grumpy when she doesn’t get all her vegetables.” She chuckled and turned back to the counter, pouring up another waffle. “You want chocolate chips in yours, Sam?”

“Yes, please,” Sam answered, chuckling, even as Jess huffed into her coffee mug. He kissed Dean’s temple, and picked up the fork. “Go ahead, Dean, you can eat. Don’t let it get cold! Gramma Connie makes really, really good chocolate chip waffles!”

Dean hesitated, closing pudgy fingers around his fork. Beside him, Miss Jess smiled finally, and patted his hand. “Go ahead and eat the waffle, Dean,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m just a little cranky this morning; that’s all.” She shot her mother a quick look, and then slyly stuck a finger in Dean’s whipped cream. He let out a little ‘meep’ of surprise when she stole the fingerful and stuck it in her mouth, and then he pulled the plate closer to him. Shooting her a glare, he began to eat, ignoring the laughter of the grown ups. 

By the time Dean was starting to get full, all the grown ups were sitting down with their own waffles. They all even had whipped cream and cherries, but only Sammy had as much whipped cream as Dean did. 

“I’m so sorry to hear about your dad, Sam,” Gramma Connie said, after they were all settled. Dean looked down at his plate; he _really_ didn’t wanna talk about Daddy. Suddenly the whipped cream on his plate didn’t look so good anymore.

Sammy hugged him a little tighter, nodding above him. “Yeah, me too… I mean, we weren’t close, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.” He sighed. “And Dean was… kind of a surprise. I didn’t realize dad had set it up for me to be his guardian.” He smiled warmly down at Dean. “I’m really glad he did, though.” 

Sammy took a bite of his waffle, and Dean snuggled back against him, pushing his plate away. His tummy didn’t want any more sweet stuff; it was too sad because of thinking about Daddy. He tucked his face into Sammy’s armpit and closed his eyes.

“You’re a little shy, aren’t you, Dean?” Gramma Connie talked to him, but Sammy said he didn’t have to talk back, so Dean shrugged. 

“Dean doesn’t talk much,” Jess explained. “It’s been rough on him, since John died. We encourage him to talk when he feels up to it, but we haven’t been pushing. It will come.” 

Dean whimpered, turning away further. Sammy shushed him, rubbing his back. It wasn’t that he didn’t _want_ to talk! He did! But he couldn’t imagine talking to anyone like he used to talk to Daddy and Uncle Bobby… What if Sammy and Jess went away, too? 

“That’s not uncommon in trauma victims,” Gramma Connie was saying. Dean didn’t really pay attention, just cuddled in closer to Sammy and took deep breaths. He didn’t want to get sad, he wanted to be happy, and eat chocolate chip waffles!

“Really?” Sam remembered his father saying that Dean hadn’t spoken for a while, after the fire, but he hadn’t ever really gone into why he _started_ talking again. “Do you know… How we can help him?”

“Time is the best healer,” Gramma Connie said after a moment. “But, you know… Sign language is easier to pick up than most people think. And little kids pick it up even faster. I bet I can find you three some good DVDs. If you watched it together, Dean could learn to express himself, at least until he’s ready to talk again.”

“That’s… Huh. That’s a pretty good idea, mom,” Sam said, before scraping up the last of his whipped cream onto his fork. He licked it clean, then set it down so he could scoop up Impala and snuggle the bear into Dean’s arms. Dean clasped it quickly, and looked up questioningly.

“Gramma Connie thinks maybe we can teach you to talk with your hands, until you’re ready to talk with your mouth. What do you think, Dean? Should we all learn how to use our hands to talk?”

Dean’s eyes widened, and he thought about it. He never talked to Daddy or Uncle Bobby with his hands… And probably, that could be pretty cool. He nodded, and then jumped a little when Gramma Connie clapped excitedly from the other side of the table. 

“Oh, wonderful, wonderful! Just let me get these dishes washed up and we’ll go out. Sam, go get some real clothes on, you can’t go out in your boxers!”

 

Sam flushed, chuckling. “Actually, mom, I really have to get out to work. But, uh, I can’t wait to see what you and Jess and Dean find. I’ll try to be home for dinner..” He stood up, and slid Dean into Jess’ lap. Dean whimpered, but didn’t try to cling to Sam. He just snuggled in close to Jess while Sam headed back to the bathroom.

“Oh, goodie!” Gramma Connie grinned broadly. “Our first family shopping trip… This is going to be such fun!”

Jess forced a smile; Dean out in public really didn’t go well yet. But he had to start somewhere. “I’m sure it will. But nothing too crazy, okay mom? And just one or two stores at first, Dean doesn’t do crowds.”

Gramma Connie waved her hand. “He’ll be fine. We’ll take it nice and slow, won’t we, Dean?”

Dean nodded, looking up at Gramma Connie with wide, green eyes. She made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, with _whipped cream_. If she said it was gonna be good, well, how bad could it be?


	9. The Duo Defy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow.. It's been nearly a year since I updated this fic! So sorry for anyone following this. Know that I don't abandon things. They just... fall by the wayside, a little.
> 
> Thanks, Lisa, for all your help and encouragement, as always.
> 
> As a note, this fic begins to utilize ASL. It's been almost a decade since my last sign class. I make every effort to have Dean use proper ASL grammar when possible. I apologize for errors. Later on, as he starts to speak, this may shift a little bit, as it's incredibly hard to sign and speak at the same time. For this reason, Sammy uses more SEE (signed exact English), because he's not as fluent as Dean, and he's trying to talk at the same time. So that's the reason for the dissonance. Dean isn't just baby talking, he's just using another form of grammar.
> 
> Anyway, that said, I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Dare

Sam glanced at the clock; Jess would be getting home from her run soon, and it was almost time for Dean’s playdate in the park. Probably time to get lunch going, then. Dean giggled from the other room. The sign language DVD from Grandma Connie was playing, and Dean had been watching with rapt attention for an hour. The little boy had gotten quite good with his signs. At times, Sam felt like he was a bit slow since Dean had been picking it up so quickly. “Dean…”

Sam stepped out of the kitchen and waited for Dean to look at him before he spoke again. Since they were using sign language, Sam tried to follow the appropriate culture as well. “Are you hungry?” He signed while he spoke, though he knew his gestures were clumsy. 

Dean signed an enthusiastic ‘yes’, grinning as he did. Sam just couldn’t believe how much sign language had broadened the quiet little boy’s facial expressions. Following Deaf culture, Dean had begun to experiment with big, wide smiles and broad movements. It was such a pleasant change from the quiet, withdrawn boy he’d been since John’s death.

Sam chuckled. “Well,” he paused for a moment, trying to remember the signs. “Want a peanut butter sandwich?” He hoped he was getting most of the signs right. Dean didn’t seem to care, even though he followed Sam’s gestures avidly. 

Dean nodded, signing ‘yes’ again. He padded up to Sam and took his big brother’s hand, Impala trailing behind him, held tightly in the other hand. Sam smiled bemusedly, but let Dean draw him into the kitchen. Dean looked up at him seriously, then turned to the pantry. He got out the peanut butter, and headed to the fridge. It took both arms to hold the jars to his chest, Impala’s hold much more precarious in one hand.

Sam bent down. “Can I help you?” He signed a few of the words, and Dean nodded seriously, letting his brother take the jars. “So we’re doing strawberry jelly for lunch, huh?” Dean nodded again, and clambered up at the table.

Sam lay out two plates, and set the bread in front of Dean. “Can we each have two pieces, please, Dean?” He glanced over as Dean began to pull out the bread, while he opened a drawer to pull out the butter knife and spoon. “Okay, let’s have lots of peanut butter on here, huh?” Sammy scooped out a glob of peanut butter, spreading it on Dean’s sandwich. Then he did the same on his own sandwich, under Dean’s watchful eye. Strawberry jelly followed, and Dean stacked the second layer of bread on top.

“Hungry,” he signed, grinning. “Eat lunch now?”

Sam nodded, signing back his ‘yes’, with a small chuckle. He cut Dean’s sandwich into quarters and then went to pull out the baby carrots from the fridge, pouring some onto each plate while Dean enthusiastically attacked his sandwich.

They ate in silence until Jess came in, panting from an afternoon run. "Hello, boys," she said, signing while she talked. Sam felt another wash of love for the amazing woman in his life. He could hardly believe she had taken, well, _all_ of this in stride. Not just his fostering of Dean; he refused to formalize an adoption until he was _certain_ there was no chance to fix things, but that she had adapted to the supernatural world, and the changes in their lives that came with it. The fact that she was still here with him made Sam's heart beat just a little faster every time he saw her.

Dean waved ‘hello’, then turned to Sammy and signed "me milk, please?" The peanut butter and jelly was delicious, but so sticky! His mouth felt like he could barely open it!

"Oh, peanut butter and jelly? Yum!" Jess sat down next to Dean when Sam stood up, but smiled up widely when he set a cold glass of water in front of her. "Thanks!" She said, her hands moving along as she did.

It was strange to sign and talk, but Dean seemed really taken with it. His vocabulary, she knew, was at least twice that of hers and Sam's. She smiled as she watched him sip his milk. What a good kid.

"Miss Tina at the daycare says thanks for the movie, Dean." Sam had to smile. Dean had loved his sign dvd so much that Sam had picked up a copy for the daycare as well. He wanted as many people as possible to be able to understand Dean.

Connie had suggested a therapist, speech or psychological, but Sam really wasn't sure how to go about that. And as he recalled from the stories of his childhood, it really was a year or so after Mary died before Dean started talking again. They could wait it out. And the sign might be useful one day, after all.

Dean smiled up at them sweetly despite a mouthful of sandwich. He loved going to daycare, especially to see Lucas. They were inseparable, and Sam hoped their friendship would last. “Watch movie school?” Dean signed, tilting his head quizzically.

“Yes," Sam said, signing. “At school you can watch.” It was so good to know that Dean had that kind of support at the daycare. It would be easy to say that Dean was just a troubled kid, but the people at the daycare took an actual interest in him. When the boy had started signing ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ to Sam each day, Miss Tina had gotten very excited. 

“I speak sign!” She’d enthused. Sam explained the situation, and she was thrilled. “I would love to help teach the kids to understand Dean! I’m sure he has so much to say!”

And that had been that. Every afternoon the kids practiced signing, just a little, until Dean was no longer the only kid at the daycare whose signing vocabulary was almost as good as his spoken vocabulary. Sam thought it was adorable, and it was so heartwarming to come down to pick Dean up and see him .

"Lucas and his mom wanted us to meet at the park today, Dean, are you ready to go?" Sam signed carefully as he spoke, and smiled when Dean nodded.

"Great. Let's go get ready... Jess, are you going to come with us today?" He knew she had some studying to do, but he had to chuckle when Dean looked up at her with big wide eyes.

"Dean..." Jess smiled and sighed. "Okay. But only for a little. I do need to study today."

Dean waved his hands, as the sign video did for applause, and then shoved the last bit of sandwich in his mouth. "Chew, Dean!" Sam admonished.

The little boy chewed exaggeratedly for a moment and then slid down off his chair, abandoning his carrots to dart down the hall to his room. Sam chuckled, standing and starting to tidy up the dishes. "Why don't you go ahead and take a quick shower? You can even bring your textbook. I'm sure once Dean and Lucas get going, they're going to abandon the grownups right away."

Jess laughed, and Sam had to smile more broadly at the warm sound. “You're right, I'm sure," she agreed, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Alright, I’m going to go and shower, and then we can go.”

She jogged down the hall to the bathroom, and Sam went to Dean’s room. The little boy had changed into a clean pair of jeans and stood beside the bed. He had ‘Pala in his hands, and looked up when Sam walked in.

“Ready to go, Dean?” He smiled, stepping up and kneeling beside him. Dean shrugged, and held Impala up. “You can bring him if you like… He can always sit on the blanket with me and JJ.” He held out a hand. “Come on, you can help me to pack the blanket and some snacks while JJ showers.”

Dean nodded, and hugged Impala close. He liked JJ; she was a quiet grownup, and almost never looked sad when she looked at him, like Sammy did sometimes. He’d heard Grandma Connie call her JJ, and that sounded lots nicer than Miss Jess. She had smiled when he’d whispered it one night after she read him a story, and so that was her name.

Sam held Dean’s hand down the hall, where they started to gather their supplies. A big blanket to sit on, the box of juice boxes, the box of fruit snacks, the sunscreen. A little bit of everything. By the time JJ appeared, her backpack slung over one shoulder, they were ready.

“We go see Lucas?” Dean signed eagerly, Impala balanced neatly on his shoes. “Please?”

“Yes,” Sam signed back. He put his hand on Dean's shoulder and they headed outside. Now that they were signing, Sam didn't want to take away Dean's voice. “We're going to walk to the park, it's such a nice day, isn't it?”

Dean nodded. He darted forward, running down the street ahead of Sam and JJ. “Dean! Stop at the curb, please!” Dean didn't answer, but he did stop well before the edge of the road to let the grownups catch up. The park was in sight before he knew it, and Dean bounced on his toes in excitement. “See? See?” He pointed at the park. “Go fast now?” 

Sam laughed. “Yes, Dean. Go fast now.” Dean darted forward, and Sam shook his head. “It's so good to see him so happy,” he said. 

“Yeah. Dean is a good kid. You know… Mom wants to know if we're planning to finalize his adoption soon… And even if we're not, she wants to have a baby shower.” 

“You know Dean isn't a baby, right?” Sam smiled at the sight of Dean and Lucas meeting on the edge of the playground. The boys hugged exuberantly, and then Dean's hands were flying a mile a minute, finally a match for his best friend's story telling. 

“Yes, but he's new to our family, and there _are_ still a lot of things he needs…” Jess trailed off. Sam still hoped that they could fix Dean, could help him. But the longer they had Dean, the more Jess felt this was a blessing in disguise. She'd never met grownup Dean, and she knew Sam missed him a lot, but this little boy? From what Sam had said, this was a second chance, to do right by him. And they couldn't put off “now” forever.

“I know…” Sam sighed. “You're right. We'll talk later.” They were coming up on the park, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek before they reached the kids. 

“Sam, Jessica, so good to see you.” Lucas’ mother gave them each a quick hug. The boys were already darting off to play, though Dean paused once to be sure that Sammy and JJ were settling down before he abandoned them.

"You too, Nina," Sam agreed as he spread out the blanket and settled down. "Dean has been so excited to see Lucas, it really is amazing." He blew out a small sigh. "You really have no idea how great it's been for us that Lucas is such a good friend to Dean."

"It's been good for Lucas, too!" Nina nodded toward the children. They'd found the sandbox, and Sam could see them building the start of a sandcastle. Not nearly as nice as they could at the beach, but given that the days were getting cooler, Sam could let it slide. They could always go back to the beach once the weather started to warm up, after all. "He didn’t have many friends at the daycare. It can be challenging for little children who talk too much." She smiled sadly. "My older son, David, is that way, as well. He wasn't quite as lucky. I hope Dean and Lucas can have many years of friendship."

"Well, I certainly have no plans of leaving the area anytime soon," Sam said. "Jess and I like it here quite a bit, and I don't have any desire to uproot Dean any more than necessary."

"I agree," Jess said. "I plan to go to medical school around here, and then probably I'd prefer to stay here. It's a nice distance from my parents, and I _love_ the area."

"That's very reassuring to hear," Nina agreed. Her eyes were on the boys, still contentedly building with sand. Lucas was clearly jabbering away, because Dean was digging and piling sand all willy nilly. But whenever Dean set the shovel down, Lucas' eyes snapped up, focusing in on his friend. Sam's heart swelled as he watched. The boys were such good friends, something he knew Dean had never had before. They'd always been on the go, and never in one place long enough for Dean to find a solid friend. Acquaintances, sure, but even as an adult Dean had tended toward shallower relationships.

He thought about what Jess had said, and making Dean a legal part of the family. He hadn't had any luck so far with the curse, but giving up seemed so. Final. Like he really, truly was admitting that his older brother was gone forever. Still, Dad and Bobby had been looking for over a year and hadn't found anything, and _that_ itself told Sam that whatever this curse was, it was buried good. And he knew that Dean wouldn't truly start to open up and relax until he felt stable. Wanted. "You know, Nina, in a couple weeks here we're going to have an adoption party for Dean." He smiled. "Most of Jess' family lives on the other side of the state, so we figured it was good for Dean to get to meet all of them." Jess looked up in surprise, but the smile on her lips told Sam she approved. "You guys are more than welcome. I'll have invitations and stuff in a few days, but I figured since you're sitting here..."

"We would love to come!" Nina's smile was wider this time. "You know, it's such a good thing you're doing for your brother, Sam. Not every young man in your position would change his whole life around like this. It's really something else." 

"Well... My dad thought family was everything. Growing up, family was all I had. So, I couldn't do anything less for Dean. Not really." He smiled fondly as Dean looked up and waved at him. Then he looked back at Lucas, his hands flashing in a way Sam couldn't interpret from their angle and distance. Then both boys were running back to the blanket full tilt. Dean skidded to a stop in front of Sam. 

"Drink, please, Sammy?" He and Lucas signed in unison. 

"Sure thing, buddy,"Sam signed back. He reached for the juice boxes, and as he passed them over, Dean's sunny smile made his heart clench. He'd always miss his big brother, sure, but until they found out what made this curse tick? Well. He wouldn't miss a minute of this. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for the reviews and for reading these! You guys are awesome. And thanks to Lisa for the beta! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Dean was bouncing with excitement. Uncle Bobby was coming! Gramma Connie was already here, and Grampa Steve. He could hear them out in the kitchen, and smell the cookies and the sweets. They were even ordering _pizza_ , even though JJ thought that pizza was bad for little tummies. But this was a special 'casion, and that meant that they could have pizza _and_ cake, and punch, and Lucas was coming over, and he was so excited!

He was so excited, he nearly ran into Sammy's legs when his big brother came in the door. He froze in shock for a moment, then giggled as Sammy swooped down and tossed him in the air. "Hey, little man!" He swung Dean in a circle, and then paused to kiss Jess when she stepped in from the hallway. "And hello to you, too."

"Hey babe," JJ said, then tickled Dean's stomach. "I'm glad you're home. Looks like Bobby's flight is on time, so it's about time to go and pick him up. You should be able to make it back in plenty of time before the party."

"That sounds great." Dean squirmed in Sammy's arms, tapping his brother over and over to get his attention. Finally, when Sammy looked at him, he signed frantically.

"Me go airport too? Want see Uncle Bobby!" He couldn't believe Uncle Bobby was going to be _here_! After so long! They talked on the computer sometimes, yes, but that wasn't the same. He missed Uncle Bobby's hugs. And his tickly kisses. His beard was fuzzy, and it scratched a little bit. But Dean liked that, too. And he liked getting to sit on Uncle Bobby's lap. He had a really good lap, almost better than Sammy's. Almost.

"Sure thing, Batman," Sammy said, bouncing Dean a couple of times on his hip. "Just let me go and change real quick and we'll go, okay? Are you gonna bring Impala with you?

Dean nodded, and then darted toward his room to get his bear. He realized when he got there that he was in a _boring_ shirt. It just had a picture of a car on it. Just a car! Impatiently, he tugged his tee shirt over his head and turned to his dresser, where he began to dig through his drawers, searching. Sammy stuck his head in a moment later, dressed now in jeans and a tee shirt. 

"Ready to go, Dean?" He sounded puzzled, even though Dean couldn’t see him with his head stuck in the drawer. "Dean? What on earth are you doing?"

Dean glanced up, and signed quickly. "Shirt boring. Want Batman! Cape!" 

Sam sighed. Many, many times he'd regretted getting that particular shirt for Dean, but never more than when they were in a time crunch. Luckily, he remembered washing that earlier in the week, so he quickly dug through the pile of discarded shirts until he found it.

"Alright, get this on quick." He shook his head fondly. Dean would be Batman every day of the week, if he were given the chance. Not that Sammy didn't want to give it to him, of course. It was just inconvenient, sometimes. He chuckled softly to himself and began to refold the clothes while Dean struggled into the tee. 

"Ready!" Dean signed excitedly as soon as his head popped out of the neck. He grabbed Impala and hugged the teddy close, finally satisfied that when he saw Uncle Bobby he’d see how _cool_ Dean was. Sammy scooped him up, bouncing him once on his hip on the way out the door. 

“Hey, babe, we're heading out.” He walked closer to Jess as they passed through the kitchen. “Be back with Bobby soon, okay?”

“Sounds perfect.” Jess leaned up for a quick peck and then to kiss Dean’s cheek as well. “Have fun getting Bobby, we'll see you soon.”

They paused at the front door to snug into jackets. It was chilly in mid November, even in California. Sammy carried him out to the car, and Dean clutched at Impala as he settled into his booster seat. He was suddenly nervous. What if Uncle Bobby wasn’t happy to see him? What if he didn’t miss Dean?

“Hey.” Sammy’s gentle voice caught him off guard, and he looked up. Sammy was smiling at him, and he brushed Dean’s floppy bangs out of his eyes with a soft touch. “Uncle Bobby really wants to see you. And he’s staying all the way until Thanksgiving!” He kissed Dean’s forehead, and then leaned back. “Let’s go get him, huh?”

Dean nodded, feeling much better. Sammy climbed into the driver’s side and started the music playing. Dean signed along as Metallica rattled out of the speakers. The drive went quickly, and Dean clapped in delight when he saw the first plane descending. They parked in a big tall garage, and Sammy scooped Dean out of his carseat. The cars around them echoed as doors closed and engines started; it was a little spooky.

“There’s a lot of people around, buddy, so I’m gonna carry you for now, okay?” 

Dean nodded, clutching tight to Sammy’s jacket as they headed toward the glass walled airport. People, cars and _noise_ assaulted his ears as they left the garage, and Dean pushed his face against Sammy’s shoulder. That was even scarier than the garage; he still really didn’t like to be out somewhere big and loud. But Sammy held him tight, bouncing him once on his hip. It felt good, safe. Sammy was very safe, like Daddy used to be. 

When they crossed into the building, it got a little quieter. The air was still, and cool but not cold like it was getting outside. Dean peeked out from the side of Sammy’s collar, taking in the huge, echo-y room. Shiny metal platforms gleamed in the yellowy lights, and a rumble accompanied bags rolling down a little hill from the wall and through some flaps, riding around and around the metal tables.

“Cool,” Dean signed, tapping Sammy’s shoulder to get his attention before pointing at the metal things.

“Oh, the carousels are neat, aren’t they?” Sammy smiled, looking down the long room. “Oh, I see where Uncle Bobby will be.” He started walking down, guiding Dean with him to the farthest carousel. A few moments later, people started coming through the door. Sammy grinned, bouncing Dean again.

“Hey, Dean…” He pointed toward the crowd. “Look who’s here.’

“Sammy!” Dean signed to his brother frantically when he spotted a familiar baseball cap bobbing above the crowd.

Sam chuckled and lowered Dean to the floor. Dean looked up at him, hesitating, but Sammy nodded. “It’s okay, Dean. I can see you.”

Dean giggled and, as the crowd parted by the carousel, he darted forward. Uncle Bobby was here! He wrapped his arms around his legs tightly, Impala sandwiched between the two of them. “Unc’ Bobby!” Dean said, his voice ringing loudly even in the din of the room. Sam suppressed a pang at the sound; Dean still so very rarely actually spoke to him.

Bobby looked startled for a moment, but he bent down to pick Dean up, hugging him tight. “Hey, buddy!” He pressed a whiskery kiss to Dean’s forehead, drawing a giggle out of the little boy. “Sammy. Good t’ see ya.” He held out a hand, and Sammy shook it firmly.

“Hey, Bobby. Good to see you, too.” He nodded to the carousel. “See your bag? Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”

“Oh, yeah… It’s that green army bag.” He lifted his free hand, pointing to a large duffel just coming onto the carousel. “Whatcha think, Dean… Are you happy to see me?”

The little boy giggled again, nodding against Bobby’s shirt collar. His initial burst of speech aside, he seemed to be back to his shy self as Sammy snagged the bag and rejoined them. “Ready to go home?”

Dean lifted one little hand, wiggling a ‘yes’, before tucking himself tight against Bobby’s coat. Bobby chuckled, a warm sound that made Dean squirm a little. 

“Well that hasn’t changed much,” Bobby said with a grin as he fell into step with Sam. They’d Skyped, and the older man had proven himself surprisingly adept at picking up sign, even if his ‘old hands’ didn’t move quite as deftly as Dean’s.

“No, he’s still pretty quiet… But wait until you see him with Lucas.” Sam grinned. “The two of them, Bobby, they get on like crazy.” 

“Good… I always did say you boys needed more friends.” He glanced up at Sammy, then dropped his voice a little. “So you haven’t had any luck then?”

Sam shook his head. They tried not to talk about it in front of Dean but they saw each other in person so rarely that Sam figured just a little wouldn’t hurt. “I’m still looking, but for now we’re doing okay.”

When Dean looked at him curiously, he just smiled warmly. “Just business, Batman. Nothing you need to worry about.”

Times like these, he ached with the need to talk to Dean, _his_ Dean. Even though Sam had always been the one to do the bulk of their research, Dean had an off the wall way of thinking that could break through the hardest mental block. He had thought he was over missing Dean when he went to Stanford, but that was before the possibility was taken away from him. After all; theoretically, Dean had never been more than a phone call away. Now? Now he lived down the hall, but he was the furthest away from Sam that he’d ever been.

“Yeah, little man, don’t worry about it.” Bobby grinned. “So I hear you’ve got a new best friend, huh? Is he a pretty cool guy?”

Dean nodded, letting the subject drop. He snuggled in against Bobby’s chest. It was hard to sign when he was being carried, and really, he just liked Bobby’s hugs. Sammy and Bobby started talking about Bobby’s garage, and Dean let the noise wash over him, just glad to have his Uncle Bobby back again.

When they got to the car, Bobby buckled Dean in and then slid in behind him. “I’m gonna sit back here with Dean. I’m sure he’s got a lot to tell me.”

Sam smiled. “I'm sure he does.” He pulled out his phone, shooting Jess a quick text to let her know that they were on their way home before he started the car and they rolled out.

With his hands free, Dean suddenly could talk again. He tapped Bobby’s arm to get his attention. “Lucas come today,” he signed with a big grin. “Party! Meet grandma, grandpa!”

“Really?” Bobby reached out to brush the blond hair back from Dean's face. “I can't wait.” Times like this reminded him why Sam was the best choice to keep Dean. He might have doubted at first. Sam hadn't really seemed like a family man. Bobby could understand the urge to leave the Business, but that was no excuse to leave your family behind. Still, he'd stepped up admirably, and so Bobby was willing to cut him a little slack.

Dean nodded. His hands started to fly again, this time telling a story about the puppy that visited their daycare and how soft he'd been. Bobby watched with rapt attention. This Dean was so unlike the little boy Bobby had met the first time around. That Dean, all those years ago, had dark circles under his eyes, and was voiceless and sad. This Dean? He was exactly who that little boy _should_ have been. 

“JJ bake cake,” Dean signed excitedly, as he wound down his story. “Batman cake!”

“Really?” Bobby didn't sign as well as Dean and Sam did, but Dean didn't seem to mind. He smiled at Bobby, and nodded excitedly.

“Yes! Grandma Connie make pretty cakes!” 

“I can’t wait to see it.” Bobby chuckled, shaking his head a little. He hadn’t met Jess, but she seemed like she must have a good head on her shoulders if both his boys were this smitten with her.

They pulled in and parked in front of the house. “Thank goodness we have dedicated parking,” Sam said with a grin. There were already several cars parked out front, since many of their guests had already arrived. This was more like an impromptu birthday party for Dean, even though they’d be having another one in a few months when Dean turned five. But Dean had very little chance to celebrate in his life, so Sam was not about to take away any opportunity that presented itself.

“Sure is,” Bobby agreed. He unfastened Dean, and was unsurprised when the boy held out his arms to be picked up. Once upon a time, John had told Dean he was too big to be carried, because Sammy was littler and needed the help. The boy had dropped his arms and hadn’t asked again. The memory made Bobby squeeze Dean just a little tighter as Sammy grabbed his bag out of the trunk and led the way into the house. 

“JJ! We’re home!” The sounds of the party filtered in from the backdoor. The yard wasn’t that large, but even on a chilly November day it was easier to be outside than to squeeze everyone into the house. 

“We’re out here,” she called back. 

Sam grinned at Bobby, nodding toward the hallway. “Your room is the first one on the left… Dean’s gonna bunk with us while you’re here.” Even though he’d been making a lot of strides toward being a big boy and sleeping in his own bed, Dean still ended up with him and Jess most nights anyway. “I’ll drop your bag off in there. You guys can head outside, I’ll be right behind you.” He grinned at Dean, hoisting the bag over his shoulder to free both hands for signing. “I think I saw Lucas’ mom’s car out there, Dean.”

Dean clapped excitedly, and squirmed to face Bobby. “Go outside? Please please?” 

Bobby laughed, though he had to tip his head back a little to really see the signs. “Okay, okay Dean. We’re going. We’ll meet you out there.” He turned toward the kitchen, where he could see the backdoor through the archway. “Oh, and Sam? There’s a box in my bag, should be on top. Bring that out with you, wouldja?”

Sam nodded, chuckling at the way Dean perked up at that. It had to be presents! 

“Sure thing, Bobby. Meet you guys out there in a sec.” He turned down the hall, letting Bobby and Dean make their way out to the rest of the guests.

Dean’s eyes widened when he got outside. The back yard was _packed!_ All his friends from daycare, and their mommies and daddies, and Gramma Connie and Grandpa Steve, and JJ and some of _her_ friends, who sometimes came over with their big books. They usually brought cookies for Dean, even when JJ said no. He liked them. 

Big tables had been set up, and there was pizza and chips and chicken wings, and lots of pop. One whole table was just lots and lots of presents; Dean couldn’t believe it! Were they for _him_? And, best of all, in the middle of one table of food was a _giant_ cake with the best Batman symbol Dean had ever seen! On the front he could read DEAN, even though he didn’t know what the rest of the words said. He wiggled in surprised excitement. This was _so cool!_

“Well, Dean… Wanna introduce me around?” Uncle Bobby was smiling, but Dean shook his head. Most of the grownups didn’t talk sign, and Dean couldn’t talk to them, no way. Luckily, Sammy appeared a moment later, and squeezed Dean’s shoulder.

“Come on, Dean,” he said. “Let’s introduce Uncle Bobby to JJ and Gramma and Grandpa, huh?”

Dean nodded again. It was a lot easier when Sammy was around. They headed toward the food table, where JJ and Gramma Connie were talking. 

“There’s the man of honor!” Gramma Connie smiled broadly and held out her hands for Dean. He leaned across to give her a hug, but when Bobby tried to pass him over, he shook his head wildly, signing ‘no’ as big as he could. Gramma Connie chuckled. “That’s okay, Dean… Do you want to introduce me?”

Dean shrugged. His hands went back to clinging to Impala, and Sammy stepped in to save the day. “Mom, dad, this is my Uncle Bobby. He’s the one who took care of Dean after the accident until I could get out there.” He let his gratitude for that sink into his voice. There weren’t words to show how much he appreciated it. “Bobby, this is Connie and Steve. They’re Jess’s parents.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Steve held out a hand. He was tall, almost as tall as Sammy, and dressed like the doctor he was. Sam would be lying if he said he didn’t feel intimidated by his future father-in-law, sometimes, but he’d been nothing but welcoming anyway, and he was thrilled to have a chance to be a grandfather.

Bobby shook it firmly. “Likewise. Thanks for taking care of my boys.” He smiled. “It’s kinda rough, bein’ so far away and all.”

“Oh, I can imagine.” Connie laughed. “We don’t even like being a few hours away!” 

Dean dropped his head onto Bobby’s shoulder, letting the grownups talk. Grownup talk was boring, but Uncle Bobby was warm and _here_. He perked up, though, at a familiar laugh.

“Dean!” Lucas squealed his name and Dean turned around to see him bouncing just near the edge of the table. Dean glanced up at Bobby, and back at Lucas, clearly torn.

Bobby looked to where Dean was turned, and chuckled. “It’s alright, Dean… I’ll be right here. If you wanna go play, go play.”

Dean hesitated a moment longer, but then he nodded and shifted so Bobby could set him down. 

“Hi Lucas,” he signed, waving. A small smile was on his face. “Want play tag?”

Lucas nodded. “Yeah!” He said, signing excitedly at the same time. Then he reached out, quick as a whip, and tagged Dean. “You it!” Then he turned tail and darted off between the guests. Dean followed behind, giggling as he and Impala gave chase.

They ran for a good ten minutes, trading off being ‘It’ until a few of the other children from daycare joined in. Soon the yard was full of giggling children. The adults milled around, talking and eating. Finally, Sam stopped them, jumping in and pulling Dean into his arms as the little boy ran past. 

“Hey, Dean! Let’s eat!” He grinned as Dean giggled and squealed when he spun him around. “Come on. After you eat, you can open your presents!”

He carried Dean over to the table where the other kids were all being ushered by their parents. They sat at the table, and JJ passed around pieces of cheese pizza and cups of juice. All around the table, little voices and little hands waved across the table. 

“That’s amazing.” Bobby kept his voice low; he didn’t really want to draw the attention of the kids. “They’re all so fast!”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, they are. They all picked up really quick. They’re not fluent like Dean, but they’re getting close. The sign language discs are all he wants to watch anymore.”

“That’s good. Language is an easy thing to get a kid started on. If you guys work on it, he could probably learn a couple languages in the next year, at least a little.”

Sam winced. “I… I know,” he sighed softly. “I’ve been trying not to plan that far ahead.” He shook his head. “I guess I’ve been trying not to think of this as permanent, you know?” He glanced around, but no one else could hear them. “But it’s looking like it’s going to be.” 

Bobby squeezed his shoulder. “Hey. We aren’t gonna quit lookin’, yeah? But it’s been a year, almost. And I know you two are gonna do your best by Dean, no matter what.” He smiled warmly. “You’re a good kid, Sam.”

Sam shrugged, blushing a little bit. He leaned back, sipping his soda and watching the kids eat contentedly. When it looked like they were wrapping up, Sam raised his voice.

“Alright, everyone!” He grinned when the crowd turned to look at him. “It’s good to see you all! I want to thank you for coming to help us celebrate Dean coming to be a permanent part of our family.” He held out a hand and Jess came to lean under his arm. “We truly appreciate all the love and support all of you have given us in the last few months as we have worked out the kinks in our road.” 

Dean sat at the table with the other kids, looking down at his hands when some of the guests clapped and, in Bobby’s case, whistled. 

Sam laughed and when the noise fell quiet, he nodded to the table of presents. “So before we get to this truly amazing looking cake, I thought Dean could open his presents and then we can eat.” He looked at Dean. “What do you think, Batman… Should we open some presents?”

Dean nodded, blushing and lifting one hand to waggle a yes. Sammy smiled. “Alright! How about you come and sit with me and JJ, huh?” They set up two of the folding chairs right by the table, and Dean came obediently to sit on Sammy’s knee. 

“Okay… What should we open first?” Dean shrugged, so Jess just passed him a box. The first several were filled with clothes, shoes, all sensible things. Dean dutifully held each thing up, smiling and signing thank you for each thing. Still, he was visibly excited when he opened the next box to find a Batman Lego playset. 

Dean clapped gleefully, and Lucas giggled from his mother’s lap where he was watching. “We can build together!” He exclaimed, signing along with most of his sentence. Sam was truly impressed about how well all the children were doing, and he decided he was going to have to find a sign class he could get to in the evening. It seemed increasingly like it was Dean’s preferred method of communication, and until he changed his mind, Sam wanted to be able to keep up.

The gifts kept piling up; a baseball mitt, more legos, a Batman lunchbox that had Dean clapping his hands. A truly prodigious pile of books, too, which Jess had smiled over. Finally, Bobby was the only one left. “This one’s from me, little man,” he said, passing over his box. Dean weighed it in his hands, and opened it. On top was a Chevy baseball cap, sized just right for Dean. He squealed and pulled it out, putting it on his head right away. Underneath was a model, and Dean pulled it out, tears glistening in his eyes. He recognized the Impala right away.

He hugged it close, and then turned his face into Sammy’s chest. The tears started to come, and Sam quickly wrapped his arm around Dean’s shoulders. Bobby stood up. “I didn’t mean t’ make him cry!” He said, sounding honestly saddened by the realization he’d hurt his favorite little boy.

“Don’t worry about it, Bobby,” Sam said, shaking his head. “He’s just a little overwhelmed.” He bounced Dean on his knee. “Hey everyone, how about some cake, huh?”

Connie nodded, realizing quickly Sam wanted to take the attention off of Dean. “That sounds wonderful, Sam. Come on, JJ, come help me cut some cake.” Soon Sam and Dean were left somewhat alone as Dean fought to control his tears and Sam murmured soothing words in his ears.

When Dean finally got himself under control, Sammy kissed his forehead. “That was a really great car, wasn’t it, Dean?” He asked, pitching his voice low. “Daddy really loved it.”

Dean nodded, sniffling. “Love car,” he signed, fingers shaky. “Miss daddy.”

“I know, buddy, I know… Me too.” Sammy smiled, brushing the last stray tears from his cheek. “But you and me, we’re together. At least we have each other, right?

Dean nodded again, nuzzling in close to Sammy’s chest. He kept his head down, but Sammy kept rubbing his back until Dean looked up. “How about we have some cake, huh, buddy?”

“Mmhm.” The little whimper of agreement was hardly loud as a gong, but it was still one of the sweetest sounds Sam had heard in a long time. No matter how he felt about using sign, it still felt like a step in the right direction any time he heard Dean make a noise. 

“Okay, buddy.” He grinned and stood, holding Dean under his hips and keeping him close. They went to the table, where JJ picked up a piece of cake.

“I saved you a piece of the Batsignal, Dean,” JJ said, holding a piece of chocolate cake with mostly yellow icing. Dean gave her a small smile, and Sam sat down so Dean could take his cake. As Dean dug into his sweet treat, Sam kissed his temple again. This might not be how he’d have hoped to have Dean with him again, but as things went, it wasn’t half bad.


End file.
